The Unknown Soldiers -- interview with a Dr treating wounded soldiers

[IrateCitizen]

The Unknown Soldiers
By Lakshmi Chaudhry, AlterNet. Posted October 21, 2004.

Gene Bolles has seen more than his fair share of human suffering. Two years in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center – the U.S. military hospital in Germany that receives all injured soldiers evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan – is no doctor's dream job, especially not if you are a neurosurgeon who specializes in brain and spinal injuries – the kind that can destroy a 19-year-old kid's life. Yet as he speaks of the shattered soldiers who were once his charge, Bolles is neither overwrought nor angry.

The soft-spoken 62-year-old civilian speaks not of politics but of humanity – the terrible toll imposed by all wars, unjust or otherwise, on all involved, soldier or civilian. He speaks not of blame but of compassion and duty – our duty as a nation to pay attention and tend to the young men and women we ask to sacrifice life or limb in battle. At a time when the reality of the suffering in Iraq has been rendered invisible by media hype and partisan battle, Gene Bolles remains a steadfast advocate for the scarred, the maimed, and the tormented – whose numbers are far, far greater than what the Bush administration would like to admit.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/20254/

[stellanoir]

1. OMG-

Does anyone know the total number of American troops who have served in Iraq?

I know they usually estimate between 135,000 to 150,000 but I'm wondering about the total who have been rotated through deployment in Iraq since March of 2003.

Because I'm wondering what percentage these numbers represent.

The thought of 1 in 5 being wounded is absolutely mind numbing but maybe 1 in 10 wouldn't be any less so.

It's so tragic especially given the reduction in veteren's benefits, the repression of the crippling effects of Desert Storm syndrome, and the fact that both Timothy McVeigh and John Allen Mohammed were both Desert Storm vets makes me deeply concerned about the long term repercussions of *'s heinous folly, both domestically and abroad.

[jakenjoe]

2. How sad. My heart aches.

I hope the first thing Kerry does is release video of flag drapped coffins at Dover.

[IrateCitizen]

3. Fuck that! I hope the first thing Kerry does is start bringing them home!

The thing is, there shouldn't even be all these "flag draped coffins" coming in to Dover right now.