"In September I go to Eye-Rack"

We were invited to a friend's home for Christmas Eve dinner last night. Among the people there was the 18 year old step=son of a friend of ours. He is in the Marines, just graduated from Basic Training and is stationed at Fort Lejeune. In September he is scheduled to be deployed to Fallujah.

He is very young, very gung-ho. I talked to him for a short time. I did not get into the politics of the war at all. I just asked him if he had all the things he needs. He said he did. So I asked him if he'll have everything he needs when he goes over there. He said no. He said he'd probably have to buy his own flack jacket, which would cost at least $400 dollars.

Can you believe this shit? Aside fro the fact hat he's just a kid and has been brainwashed- he knows he won't be safe, but he can't wait to go- he thinks it's gonna be cool.

We told his father that is they didn't have the money for armor, we'd all chip in and make sure he has everything he needs before he goes there. I felt sick all night

He has no idea what he's in for- even if he comes back intact physically, he has no idea what it's going to really be like to kill people and watch his friends and civilians die, And for what? I still feel just so angry and depressed.

he'll get issued one.

But you'd think someone would have told him.

Or maybe he doesn't remember?? Nobody's perfect....

we chipped in and bought them a side arm. A S&W comes in handy in close quarters.

Cannon fodder for the politicians and generals.

aiming for just below the helmet now.

a 20 yr old Marine in denialville. All he thinks about is killing Iraqis. I am so not proud. :(

before he is dead. :cry:

I hope he comes home safe and sound. I hope you can get him checked out by a doc. I worry about depleted uranium. The war zones in Iraq are full of it. :(

I don't know my brother's (soon-to-be) stepson very well, but I know of many bad decisions he has made.

I am worried my nephew will want to join the army, too. He's barely fifteen and my family are all Republicans. Folks at DU have cautioned me to shut up about it because it's not my place to say anything, but I really would like to. I want to tell him the truth.

If you were me, what would you do? Knowing what you know, seeing your precious son hurt...what would you do?

I can envision the scenario surrounding the death of my nephew, my mother's only grandchild, my only nephew, my brother's only child. I don't want to go there. :cry:

Also, I have this horrible premonition that my brother's (soon-to-be) stepson will do something stupid once he gets to Iraq. He's already done so many stupid things in my presence that it isn't out of the question. He isn't very good at decision-making. :(

I was literally obsessed with knowing my son wasn't dead.I didn't want the call in the middle of the night(we are in vastly different time zones).I ran through the scene in my head multiple times a day.I would see some of the leaked photos of the coffins,and wonder why the government wanted to deprive the families of their grief.
I talk to everyone I know-at least encourage him to avoid the Army and marines.
These kids aren't well supervised when they get to Iraq.There isn't much for them to do,and they get bored.My son's unit are all 21 year old alcoholics.They would buy liquor from the iraqis....although they had known some GIs who were poisoned.I'm glad my son is in germany.I'm not thrilled about the baggage he is carrying...

Until they were actually there, that is. They realize killing isn't all it's cracked up to be and end up severely psychologically damaged. It's very sad and very unnecessary.

They shot back and you die and there is no reset button. :cry:

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my fathers come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends

Has this child played too many shoot-em-up video games? Has he ever been seriously injured where he has experienced mind-bending pain that hurts so much you can't even scream?

Reality awaits in Iraq. I hope he is safe. But Fallujah's cup runneth over with blood.

young men going to war... and looking forward to it.

and don't think becoming a cripple or worse will happen to them.

That's why the military can brain wash these poor suckers.

does reality set in. :cry:

on the medevac-his buddy shot 6 times(my son's leg was messed up-not bad)..he described the soldier going in and out of consciousness,about them intubating him,and pouring blood and iv fluids...I could tell my son felt guilty.He also related about another one of his buddies who attempted suicide....amd people-these are friggin' mechanics-just imagine what the infantry guys are going through

Yep, Bush has all his priorities right.

He is also clueless and my family has supported his decision to go. My mom says the army makes men out of boys. No, it makes corpses out of boys. And young men with PTSD out of boys. And violent men out of boys.

That poor kid already has enough problems. When he comes back, I will be afraid of him. He already strikes me as "at risk" for being very violent.