The Wounded of the Iraq War
The LA Times brings us a powerful story of US military personnel wounded in Iraq — where there have been an estimated 16,653 wounded and an estimated 2,327 KIA (Killed in Action).
As is typical in the military, the LA Time’s story captures some of the dark humor that service personnel oftentimes rely on as a coping mechanism for all the shit that they must endure:
Worrell glanced down and was surprised to see a Purple Heart resting between his legs. Somehow the medal made him think of his wife, Jayme.
"My wife’s going to be pissed," he told the doctor. "She specifically gave me instructions not to get perforated over here."
At that moment, Jayme Worrell was driving to the couple’s ranch-style home in Fayetteville, N.C. She did not yet know that Vinny, the gangly boy she had dated in high school, the restaurant cook who had joined the Army to give meaning to his life, was about to be cut open inside a tent in the Iraqi desert.
I look forward to the rest of this three part series from the LA Times — you can see some images and a preview of parts 2 and 3 here:
