Marines in Iraq

Seeing the excerpt from the story gave me a chill.

"3rd Reconnaissance Battalion’s Company A"

39 years ago, I was in the same company, same battalion, in a very different place.

Give your great nephew my regards.

Semper Fi.

 

My prayers and salute to them all and especially to your nephew/hero/first responder! Man! He did GOOD! My appreciation to him for his willing service to our country.

As far as PTSD: a lot of soldiers who are casualties with other ailments and injuries, are getting this diagnosis, whether appropriate or not: It expedites their claims..... and except for the obviously injured and disabled, it tends to limit what the government will pay and makes a medical disability claim over exposures to things like the vaccines, medications, insecticides, depleted uranium, more difficult to obtain.... as all symptoms, physical and psychological, must then go through the screening of the PTSD diagnosis.

I certainly hope your nephew doesn't have any problems with this. Night mares and 'flash backs' of picturing this in his mind in vivid detail, are normal and the way our minds heal. To help him mend, I pray that he will not only be given a mouth and the mind to talk about his experience, but people who will listen and accept his grief, fear, anger and whatever emotions buried within the hurt and shock.... without dismissing him or denying him their understanding and acceptance of his report: and 'normal' and happier experiences to involve his attention and intrude on the preoccupation of the experience of one day and moment in time. May God bless, guide, keep and provide for him. He is sooooo young!

Unfortunately, the same modern society which doesn't shrink from putting blood, gore and violence on t.v. and the silver screen, doesn't extend the same tolerance and understanding to folks who've experienced the real thing and not a bunch of actors which they laughed at.