Honoring those Who Have Fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan

As the Iraq War drags on, it is important to remember the sacrifices of America's men and women who have given their lives in service to their country. Though the war may be unpopular in many circles, the young men and women who fight it are serving honorably and with great courage against an often unseen enemy. I am proud of my many friends who have served two, three, four, and even five tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. Each one has told me that they see progress over there on each successive deployment, something you rarely catch on the news. May our efforts in Iraq bring peace and stability to the region and its people.

God bless those who have paid the ultimate price this Memorial Day.

Actors Behaving Well, Part I

A heart-warming story about a man who is not only a tremendous actor, but a genuinely good person.

Subject: Denzel Washington, and Brooks Army Medical Center

Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC) recently. BAMC cares for soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and specializes in burn victims.

On-base housing is provided for soldiers being treated at BAMC. These homes, called Fisher Houses, are available to families at little or no charge. BAMC has a number of these houses on base; however, they are usually filled.

While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, he toured one of the Fisher Houses, and asked how much each home cost to build.

He then took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount for one Fisher House on the spot.

Sad, but in this day and age, when Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton make the news daily for behaving badly, the Denzel Washington story did not make any newspaper except the local newspaper in San Antonio.

Remembering Our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

Today I'd like to reflect on the heroic job our soldiers are doing over in Iraq and Afghanistan, in a war every bit as nasty and endless as Vietnam. I'm a working class dog, so I know a lot of guys who are serving. Four of my buddies are getting ready to go over to Iraq for the third or forth time this fall. They each have wives and children and all are in their thirties. They do so uncomplainingly, whatever their personal feelings may be. All saw death of comrades in their other tours, so I'm sure that's on their minds.

I got an email from a good friend today that got me thinking hard. It had a photo of his grandson, who served in the First Gulf War, and who has suffered the effects of the chemicals of thousands of burning oil wells and who knows what else after Kuwait was liberated from Saddam. As a country, supporting the troops MUST mean more than slapping a two-dollar yellow ribbon magnet on the bumper our our cars. It must mean making sure our troops get the best care after they return, whether they have been infected with Agent Orange, lost their legs to a roadside bomb, or just need a little assistance getting their lives going again.

The New England Journal of Medicine has a photo essay on wounded vets that is so graphic that I will not reproduce any photos on this blog. However, if you care to see the types of hideous injuries our soldiers are suffering on a daily basis, mainly to explosive devices that they never even see or have a chance to defend themselves against, I highly recommend you go to this site: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/351/24/2476#F9

If it does not sober you and make you reflect on the price our troops are paying for us, then nothing will.

The Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review has an excellent graphics page on the war in Iraq, and a visit there is worth the trip. http://www.spokesmanreview.com/iraq/database/casualties_search.asp

Want to do something to help support our troops? Go to the Defense Department website for many suggestions. I personally write to several and send things that they need that they can't get over in Iraq or Afghanistan. Here is that site: http://www.usdamilitaryfamilies.org/html/help_our_troops.html

It's easy to forget what our men and women are doing over in Harm's Way from our cushy lifestyle here in the States. Let's all resolve to do more to support the troops--whatever we may feel about the war they are dutifully fighting.