The Washington Post has a story up about a military wife, Michelle Turner dealing with her combat damaged husband Crippled by PTSD she will be paying for this war for as long as their marriage survives.
As thousands of war-wounded lug their discharge papers and pill bottles home, more than a quarter are returning with PTSD and brain trauma. Compensation for these invisible injuries is more difficult and the social isolation more profound, especially in rural communities where pastures outnumber mental health providers. Troy’s one-year war has become his wife’s endless one.
Like me she drives by the signs of local businesses extolling their patriotism with “Support the Troops” signs in the window. Yet, they have already lost one vehicle to repossession and bill collectors call regularly because support doesn’t extend to sacrifice. Hell, support doesn’t even extend to writing Congress for most lazy, apathetic Americans but those same patriotic citizens will call into American idol.
Troy Turner no doubt believed he was fighting for his country, fighting for the very people in his community who now ignore the suffering of this family. Their experience is felt all over the country by military families who come to realize there is no shared sacrifice. My own experience in Coquille is the same except that in Coquille several people banded together to make my life even harder than it already was and chose to judge my character because my damaged, medicated son let the dogs loose. Phoney patriots make me sick!
If more soldiers and Marines knew how shabbily they will be treated when they return by their government and the very people they believed they were fighting for they would know better than to join in the first place. Like I have said before, mama’s don’t let your babies grow up to be warriors because the American people don’t give a damn.
