Last night I cried for the soldiers; veterans of wars past and present. I cried because I was angry about the Iraq war, and there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I cried for all of the dead civilians who have done nothing worse than live under the rule of a dictator whom some deemed "evil" and an imminent danger to our country. I cried because I do not trust the man in charge of all the troops fighting in the war that I believe is unnecessary at worst and untimely at best. And all the crying started because I watched HBO's newest documentary,
Last Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq, inspired by
The New York Times.
I heard about the documentary on
NPR on my way home last night, and I wound up getting teary just listening to the director, Bill Couturié, describe why
he was tearing up after listening to a clip of the letter from
Pfc. Jesse Givens. Bill said that he has a hard time even imagining about writing a "just in case" letter to his own sons. I knew I would be crying more when I decided to watch it, and even the NPR interviewer, Michele Noris, recommended having the Kleenex handy. I agree.
The film's purpose was clear and simple: The families of 6 soldiers who were killed in Iraq, read aloud the last letter(s) that their soldier would ever write home. One stopped mid-sentence. Some were positive, some were more melancholy. Some of the family members made it through the letter without crying, but most didn't. The pictures of soldier's face flashed on the screen. Half of them were younger than I when killed, and I'm only 23. This is my generation fighting this war. I can't help but wonder what it was like seeing people my own age being killed during the Vietnam war. Suddenly I understand the anger, the protests, and the emotional confusion that was the result of that war. No wonder people are still talking about it. I only hope we'll be able to talk about Iraq once time has passed, but I somehow doubt that the memories will fade or that emotions will subside.
This was not a political documentary, but it was aired after the election for a reason. The pain and suffering caused by this war is overwhelming at times. Only once was Bush's name mentioned. Cathy Heighter, Pfc. Raheen Heighter's mother said that when Bush landed and declared that "major combat operations are over" in May, she believed him. She thought that it meant that her son would be coming home soon. She was wrong, sadly. So was everyone else who believed him. I couldn't help but feel the pain in my own heart. I want to comfort her as much as I want to scream at our leaders for doing this to her and so many other mothers and fathers; husbands and wives. I hope Bush' heart is as heavy as mine. No, I don't; I hope it's as heavy as all of the people who lost a loved one all rolled into one. He pushed for the war, but we all have to deal with the consequences.
Are the majority of Americans anesthetized to the human cost of this war? If so, this film was like smelling salts for the unconscious. I woke up hard and fast.
Only 6 soldiers' letters were read over the course of an hour.
There are over 1,100 dead soldiers now.
I recommend that everyone watch this film. It makes it clear that whether we wanted this Iraq war or not, this is every American's war. Whether we think this is Bush's war or not, we are all involved in one way or another. These soldiers who fight for our country do not have the luxury of protesting or really questioning the motives of why they are there. They must follow orders. Why were they were kept longer than they originally expected? Why do they have to stay away from their families longer than expected? Why do they not get the benefits they were promised when they signed up in the Armed Forces? We at home (and I am proud to say on this blog) have fought and will continue to fight for the veterans so they are given the proper respect and taken care of when they return. We can also fight for their quick return. Nothing we can do can replace an arm or leg lost; but we can at least make sure that they get the treatment they deserve. What we do to achieve these goals for our troops should be equal to the sacrifice they make for us.
You don't know anyone who's over there? I guarantee that someone you know does. This affects many of us now, but with the death toll climbing higher each day, it's bound to touch someone in your life before it's over. We should cry our tears for these soldiers, but we should match the number of our tears with letters to our Representatives and Senators and local editors. We should let it be known that if our leaders are going to send these brave men and women, then it is their responsibility to make sure that they and their families are provided for and cared for when they return - alive or dead.