billvon 3,120 #1 September 10, 2002 This weekend I was down at the DZ and I ran into Larry. He's one of our TM's who I hadn't seen in a while, one of the handful of local military guys who did tandems on the weekend. He was filling out a license renewal form. He was having trouble getting around - he had an external fixator on his tibia and a nasty hole in his leg. "Another hook turn injury" I thought. I didn't give it a second thought - such sights are (unfortunately) pretty common at SoCal DZ's, and I had about a million things to do, since the power system was being a little flaky that day. While he was there, though, I overheard him talking to Kurt. The hole in his leg wasn't caused by a bone, sticking through his leg in protest against an overly-enthusiastic meeting of body and earth. It had been caused by a ten year old Afghani sniper. Larry had been on patrol when the sniper had hit both him and another soldier; he was in much worse shape than Larry but had survived. They, of course, are the lucky ones among the US military casualties in Afghanistan - a lot of Americans did not come back from Afghanistan alive. We sometimes assume that what's happening in Afghanistan and the middle east is a world away, that they are just abstractions that we debate here and in the media. Invasion is a deterrent, we must accept some collateral damage, we have eliminated X amount of Al Quaeda leadership and established government Y with Z thousand troops. It's easy to forget that for some of those troops, it's a lot more real than that. For Larry and his fellow soldiers, the pain and loss they experience (and, in some cases, their families experience) are as real as the pain and loss felt by New Yorkers who were injured in the 9/11 incidents or who lost family and friends in the WTC collapse. So keep them in your thoughts tomorrow as well when you think about the casualties of 9/11. And while we do that, let's pray for the day when we don't need to take time to mourn the injured and dead, a day when both US civilians and soldiers no longer need lose their lives for political or religious reasons. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #2 September 10, 2002 Thank you for your thoughtful words...and amen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muenkel 0 #3 September 10, 2002 Amen BillVon! I agree completely. _________________________________________ Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
megscott73 0 #4 September 10, 2002 Tomorrow morning my office is giving us some time to go up the hill near our office where we can see the NY skyline. It seems so strange to not see the towers, they have been there for as long as I can remember and I remember not being able to take my eyes off them when I was on the train, or driving home from NY. As I look out to where the towers used to be, I will definitely remember and say a prayer for all of the heros who are fighting for us in the middle east. Thanks for mentioning them. I agree with you that it is so easy to lose sight of the fact there there is a real war going on over there. Out of sight--out of mind , right? Well, let's not let that happen!!!!======================= "What I want is what I've not got ,but what I need is all around me"-DMB Meghan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enrique 0 #5 September 10, 2002 I'm at the office reading this post right now and, for some strange reason, I couldn't manage to hold in a couple of tears (sorry if it sounds a little unmanly to any of you) but the sole idea of having to watch our backs every day and, specially tomorrow, makes my heart hurt. Even for us, being your VERY CLOSE neighbors.... it's hard to cope with everything that has happened. My heart goes out to all the people that are suffering and mourning, and I can only wish that our governments can be sensible enough to stop the madness. Enrique Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
megscott73 0 #6 September 10, 2002 Thank you so much for posting your sympathy & compassion. It really means a lot to everyone. I know many families who lost sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, etc. last Sept & I'm sure I speak for them when I say knowing other countries are thinking of us in this hard time is such a huge help. THANKS! And don't feel so bad--we'll all get through it together and hopefully the eventual outcome will be a more peaceful world.======================= "What I want is what I've not got ,but what I need is all around me"-DMB Meghan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #7 September 10, 2002 Amen Bill. It's a little more real when you see it up close huh? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.thumb.jpg.4bb795e2eaf21b8b300039a5e1ec7f92.jpg)