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Fog of War11-26-2007
To the editor,
I just wanted to share a few thoughts about what I like to call the "Fog of War." Many of the soldiers that will be coming home from Iraq or Afghanistan will look or act like all is well but in all actuality that's not true.
Some of them will have seen and had to do things that will be forever engraved in their minds. Some will cope with this stress well, but many will not. This stress that I'm speaking of is post-traumatic stress disorder. This I know all to well. I was deployed to the Persian Gulf the day after Thanksgiving in 1990 for Desert Shield, which as we all know soon became Desert Storm. I saw things and had to do things that took me years to learn how to deal with in a healthy way.
As the "Fog of War" is the stress that all of our troops, women and men, deal with day in and day out. They ask themselves every day "What's going to happen today? Will I see my family again? Will I loose another friend today?" The more they see and do, the more they have to deal with. All that stress, day in and day out begins to take it's toll. Many will be reduced to tears after the day is done.
In the heat of battle things seem to slow down. The smallest thing can be burned into ones memory. The sound of rifle fire, the smells that engulf you, the sights of death that surround you. You feel like your mind is in the fog. So much is going on that you just want to scream. You feel the recoil of your rifle every single time you pull the trigger, even when your eyes are closed.
You don't have to be in battle to have felt this. Many of the readers have been in a car accident. Just before the impact everything slows down. You don't hear the radio, you forget about the meeting you're late for, all you can think about is "Will I see my family again?" then BANG!!!
You may sit in the car with your mind in a fog for a few seconds or a few minutes. You may not be able to focus on what you're doing. Many will be reduced to tears. See my point?
Now when you watch the news, don't just think about the soldiers that have made the ultimate sacrifice, think of them all. They all deserve our respect and support. They put themselves in harm's way day in and day out for our way of life.
From the WWII veteran that may be driving too slow for you, but has done things on the beaches of Normandy that only his brothers on that beach could understand. Or the Korean War veteran that lived next door that had the best candy at Halloween when you were a kid, and still does. The Vietnam veteran that you call every time the plumbing is on the fritz. The Gulf War veteran that works at the grocery store stocking shelves. So the next time you see a soldier or a veteran give them a smile and a kind word of thanks for all they gave and gave up! God bless them all and God bless America.
Sincerely,
Michael Morin
Served proudly in the U.S. Marine Corps
Adams
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