A few words about those wounded in battle.
 

Just so we don't over-focus on the 2300 or so killed in Iraq. Medical advances are keeping more severely wounded soldiers alive.

We should all spend a moment to think about them, their care, and how the nation thanks them for their service.

---------------Ron Kovic on the wounded------------
The Forgotten Wounded of Iraq

A Dig led by Ron Kovic

Thirty-eight years ago, on Jan. 20, 1968, I was shot and paralyzed from my mid-chest down during my second tour of duty in Vietnam. It is a date that I can never forget, a day that was to change my life forever. Each year as the anniversary of my wounding in the war approached I would become extremely restless, experiencing terrible bouts of insomnia, depression, anxiety attacks and horrifying nightmares. I dreaded that day and what it represented, always fearing that the terrible trauma of my wounding might repeat itself all over again. It was a difficult day for me for decades and it remained that way until the anxieties and nightmares finally began to subside.

As I now contemplate another January 20th I cannot help but think of the young men and women who have been wounded in the war in Iraq. They have been coming home now for almost three years, flooding Walter Reed, Bethesda, Brooke Army Medical Center and veterans hospitals all across the country. Paraplegics, amputees, burn victims, the blinded and maimed, shocked and stunned, brain-damaged and psychologically stressed, over 16,000 of them, a whole new generation of severely maimed is returning from Iraq, young men and women who were not even born when I came home wounded to the Bronx veterans hospital in 1968.

I, like most other Americans, have occasionally seen them on TV or at the local veterans hospital, but for the most part they remain hidden, like the flag-draped caskets of our dead, returned to Dover Air Force Base in the darkness of night as this administration continues to pursue a policy of censorship, tightly controlling the images coming out of that war and rarely ever allowing the human cost of its policy to be seen

------------snip-------------

Full story
http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/forgotten_wounded_20060117

Agree and most people focus on the killed in action in any war, and do not realize that just because someone is still alive after the action, their wounds can be very severe, changing their lives forever.

Being paralized, losing a limb, their sight or so on leaves a person in a totally different world. The difficult part is that they will in most cases need care or help for the rest of their lives. I have several friends in this situation and until you have lived in their shoes, no person can really understand how life is for a disabled person.

They deserve our undying respect and gratitude. Their sacrifice was given on the battlefield to protect our country, the people of America and our way of life. Our political feelings should not matter in this area, they need and should receive our help and support forever.

Joe A

PS Every administration has controlled images of war and access to the KIA and wounded servicemen/women. Futher, every administration has controlled access to the war and only in the last 20 years have reporters been allowed completely free access to send the war zone. This administration is not alone in doing this, so you can get off this tact trying to harpoon Bush after making everyone feel sorry about the victims of war on any side.

The person who wrote the article above is incorrect in that we have seen more images that were needed of the flag draped coffins returning to Dover and like Techie, is trying to go after the current admin, all the while with blood on his hands for using this group of people to do so. He should be ashamed for his actions as should Techie...

I would like to pay tribute to the Canadian soldiers who have been killed/wounded trying to clean up the mess that the coalition left in Afghanistan. Eight Canadians - four who were killed by Americans.

While I agree that we are seeing more amputees in this war than in previous ones, the reason is because their body armor is keeping them from dying.

Would you rather have twice the dead or more amputees?

What the hell kind question is that?

You make is sound like it was done on purpose. What a jerk! They are helping clean up the mess around the world that was caused by OBL and trying to eliminate the cause of future terrorist action. Oh, I forgot, Canada, the place who hides the terrorists until they come across the border trying to bomb America! Guess you forgot to mention that in your post.

There were four Canadian soldiers who were ACCIDENTLY killed by their fellow American soldiers in wartime. These soldiers will remember this and for the rest of their lives and this will forever haunt them.

We have also accidently killed many of our own, patriots like Pat Tillman among them. This happens in war. You have not been there so have no idea what its like so how about closing your pie hole on this subject?

We then have trolls and goofs like CreatureCat, who trys to stir up the brown material with ever comment he makes. Instead how about showing some respect to these men and women who are protecting you this minute somewhere in the world?

Joe A

I'd rather have nobody dead or wounded in unnecessary wars like Iraq.

http://a188.g.akamaitech.net/f/188/9.../10pm/ny_7.jpg

http://www.jacques-itch.com/images/SaddamWTC_01.jpg

$1,200 does not go very far when you can't get around and cannot take care of yourself.

http://www.veterans.state.ny.us/faq/faqdisability.htm

If I'm wrong about this figure, let me know in a nice way. I have not asked the two Vietnam Vet's down the hall what the actual figure is. I could be wrong.