Purple Hearts: horrors of the war in online NYT slideshow

Looking at today's NY Times, my heart was broken open.  There is a new and devastating exhibition of photographs called ``Purple Hearts'' opening in NYC by the photographer Nina Berman.  

To see these photos is to deepen the disgust with today's talk from our elders.

With inapt and inept contrasts of Iraq with Vietnam.

With news that we cannot send armored vehicles quickly enough.

With an unrolling of an ad campaign by a former flack who doesn't know the name of the soldier he is using as a prop to shill this horrific conflict.

We must have the Senate and House see these pictures and show them to the world.    

Go to the slide show.  I am most devastated by the sixth picture.

There is a beautiful bride on the day of her wedding, bedecked in her white gown, he in his formal marine gear.  

Then look at him.

He is missing his ears, his hair, most of his nose. He has been horribly burned.  

There is twenty year old Adam Zaremba, who lost his leg from a mine.

Twenty three year old Alan Jermaine Lewis, who lost both legs to a mine.

Jeremy Feldbush, 24, left blind and brain damaged by mortar attacks.  

Joseph Mosner, 35, had his face severely burned and scalp burned off in a bomb explosion.

Robert Acosta, 20, lost arm and leg to an ambush outside Baghdad.

Sam Ross, left blind and with one less leg, age 20, from a bomb.

We know the numbers at DKos.  These are but a few.

But to look at these harrowed faces, these lives transformed, to know that there are 3700 coffins that needn't be there but from this war of choice-this is the reminder in stark visceral terms that we must end this occupation of a distant land.  

To see these pictures you cannot but gag gag at the claims from Mitt Romney that his sons are serving the country by campaigning for him.

To see these pictures is to know that the claims of the Brookings scholars and politicians that it is working is so much empty rhetoric.  

John Kerry famously said

“How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam -– How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”

These lives lost and ruined, these young men and women, they are all our sons and daughters, and they have served our country in good faith, betrayed by the elders for whatever complex of greed, ideology and naivity propelled them here.  

We can honor them best by ensuring that less of them suffer this fate.

Call the armed services committees and ask them to hear from Nina Berman, and to see her photos, and to hear from some of the young men and women she photographed.

Senate: 1-202-224-3871
House: 1-202-225-4151

•  The Horror.

  God help me from saying what I feel when I look at these photos.

  For those monsters who created this "war" -- this game -- this profit motive -- no version of hell is hot enough.

  by Coolwateroverstones on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 12:02:31 AM PDT

  •  Thanks for posting this

    Somehow I missed seeing this in the NY Times -- wouldn't have caught it if not for your diary.  Thanks.

    by feduphoosier on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 12:12:18 AM PDT

    •  you're welcome n/t

      by dlcox1958 on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 12:25:18 AM PDT

      •  The photos are heartbreaking :(

        I have seen that wedding photo before, somewhere.  Just breaks my heart.  Imagine what we aren't seeing...

        by feduphoosier on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 12:31:36 AM PDT

•  When Soldiers Return

  Photo Essay by Nina Berman
  It's easy to send soldiers off to war. It's a lot harder to face them when they come home.

  by jimstaro on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 02:07:34 AM PDT

•  Donate to "Operation Hero Miles"

  By following some links, I found out that Ty Ziegel, the young man in the wedding photo was helped by a program where you can donate your frequent flyer miles to a program called Operation Hero Miles. The program provides airline tickets to severely wounded soldiers and their families so they can visit the soldiers while they are being treated in hospitals far from home.
  We've got Safeway grocery store miles that I doubt I'll ever use. I plan on donating them. If anybody else has miles from store promotions or credit cards that will never get you anything more than free magazine ssubscriptions, you might consider donating them! Small amounts add up!

  The nonprofit Fisher House Foundation administers the "Hero Miles" program for the Department of Defense in accordance with Public Law 108-110, the FY 05 Defense Authorization Act. The program is comprised of individual airlines whose passengers donate their frequent flyer miles to assist service members and their families. Specifically, Fisher House Foundation provides free airline tickets to military men and women who are undergoing treatment at a military or VA medical center incident to their service in Iraq or Afghanistan, and their families.

  There are two categories of eligible recipients:

  Service men and women with an approved leave of five or more days may be given a free round trip airline ticket for a trip from the medical center to their home and return if they are not eligible for government funded airfare.
  Qualifying service men and women may be given free round trip airline tickets to enable their family or close friends to visit them while they are being treated at the medical center

  .

  http://www.fisherhouse.org/...

  by jennybravo on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 02:13:13 AM PDT

•  A real horror

  On top of everything else, initially Tyler Ziegel was only given a partial disability award for his injuries. he is now a part of a group advocating for fair treatment of wounded veterans.  

  In a 2004 suicide bomber attack during his second tour of duty in Iraq, he was seriously wounded, losing an eye and suffering burns over much of his body. His injuries, including a fractured skull and an amputated arm, required 50 operations and 19 months of rehabilitation.

  http://www.johnconyers.com/...

  Tyler Ziegel says he considers himself fortunate. The 24-year-old former Marine reservist, who lost both his ears, most of his nose, and his left hand in a blast from an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq, said he finally got the veterans disability benefits he needs to survive after his third attempt. Ziegel, a resident of Metamora, Ill., said his status changed when he mentioned that he was in touch with the national media.

  The Department of Veterans Affairs official "said, 'Please don't do that. We don't need the media involved.' Then two days after that, they somehow, some way gave me my (disability award), which is fair," said Ziegel, who acknowledged that he received good medical care for his injuries.

  http://blog.nola.com/...

  by jennybravo on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 03:00:58 AM PDT