The Grey Area

I want to start by saying that I am so proud of each and every soldier serving in the Un ited States Military. Both of my brothers have been sent to Iraq, and my brother, Nick, is still over there. He missed the birth of his second son serving his country and probably won't see him until he i s almost a year old. I can't even imagine the anxiety and fear that his wife is experiencing right now. Over the past year or so we have all watched the news in horror as the death toll rises in Iraq. We mourn for the fallen soldiers and grieve with their families. We also celebrate with the families of the men and women who return home safe and sound. However, war is not quite so black and white. There is a grey area that I feel is being overlooked. That grey area is the hundreds and hundreds of men and women injured in the line of duty. Although they did not give their lives for their country they have given legs, arms, fingers, eyes, skin, blood, and more. They toss and turn in the night from insomnia and nightmares. They deal with the pain of surgery after surgery hours and hours of physical therapy. Their families have to stand by and watch their dearest loved ones suffer through the pain and fear. And when this war is over and we have all gone on with our lives, they will live everyday with these reminders. These men and women are heros. Their voices need to be heard. As I was sitting in my safe quiet living room this morning and checking my email I noticed a link on the MSNBC website, This Week in Pictures. Actually, what really caught my eye was the huge picture of a cat being soaped up during a bath. Down towards the bottom next to a tiny black and white picture I read, "Wounded in the line of duty Four Iraq war veterans tell their personal stories of being injured, their perspective on the conflict and their outlook on the future." After the initial anger that a wet cat took priority over wounded American soldiers, I clicked on the link. I sat and watched the slideshow of three men that were wounded while in Iraq. I listened to their stories and witnessed their pain. I heard the voice of the grey area.