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• Tom Ryan 68 CW3/USA/RET United States Army

  San Antonio, TX United States

  My story is an old one:

  I used to ride past the 12th Field Hospital in Saigon and see the street in front of the emergency room covered in so much blood. I flew back home on a coffin flight with 19 dead soldiers, none of whom was older than 18. I was 25. Were any of them married? Did they have any children who were (at that time) left fatherless?

  Now, I work on Fort Sam Houston and everyday, I see the results from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: Soldiers missing limbs, with massive burns, or totally disfigured. And, I have to wonder if anyone else in San Antonio should see this up close and personal to get the message? Have them stand in front of these wounded and answer the question: what have you done to help? Do you care? Or, are you more concerned with tailgate parties, Spurs' games, or the latest movies than you are with what has happened to us?
  

  News articles about another soldier suffering with massive injuries and long rehab, or of a military family having to beg for help would appear to be merely a subliminal flash to most Americans. These are not live shots of 9/11 and its aftermath; and, I have to assume that they hurriedly change channels to watch American Idol or flip the pages of their newspaper to the sports page to avoid having to confront the realities of war.
  

  These are the very same people who could have long ago forced the Congress, DOD and VA to provide more help sooner, rather than wait and wonder later what should we have done. We send Americans (and, foreign nationals who joined our military services) into combat unprepared to survive IEDs and ill-prepared to overcome the consequences of combat injuries and war trauma.

  Now, we have many more soldiers commiting suicide to avoid their 3rd or 4th sojourn into combat. And, an overblown "warrior mentality" in DOD has been slow to recognize that combat causes more than just physical injuries. They've tried to ignore it hopint it would go away, but PTSD is not a new term; it dates back to WWII and beyond. It also disrupts families' lives and more often than not, no one will help.

  These wounded are not Spartans. Americans need to be REMINDED that service to their country means taking care of those who willingly went where most Americans fear to tread.
  

  Keep up the good work.

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