"Unlike many other young Marines, Lance Corporal William Allen, 26, who appeared on Time's cover in 2005 (above), joined the military the day before 9/11. But like many who fought in Iraq, Allen suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He died [last week] of a drug overdose after self-medicating."
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4.27.2009
Just Saw This In Time
"Unlike many other young Marines, Lance Corporal William Allen, 26, who appeared on Time's cover in 2005 (above), joined the military the day before 9/11. But like many who fought in Iraq, Allen suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He died [last week] of a drug overdose after self-medicating."
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40 comments:
Sad, very sad, but we just keep sending our youngest men in their primes off to fight someone else's war. Makes me sick at my stomach. The flower children of the 60's had it right.
So sad. The war isn't over after the troops come home. I hope America will remember this the next time it wants to go to war. So very sad.
Anyone who joins the armed forces these days must be on drugs.
How much will the government pay to get these veterans the help they need to fight the battle that goes on inside them? More than it does to save failed banks, insurance companies and auto makers?
Just wondering: how prevalent was PTSD after WW2?
Yes, those wonderful flower children had it right. They succeeded in giving us two generations, and counting, of druggies and a culture so sexually perverse as to be the shame of the entire planet
Members of the military and veterans deserve all the help that we can give them. That includes not only dollars, but also every effort to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible so that military members can return home as quickly as possible. Providing aid and comfort to those enemies prolongs the war and adds to the burden of our military members.
I think we're the shame of the planet because we barge in where we're not wanted and get our kids killed fighting others' wars for them. Now, who's crazier? I think it's the warmongers. I agree with 1:15. Anyone who would play that game for them and join the armed forces must be a true whack-job.
Basically, the military is brilliant at kicking butt and taking names--"shock and awe" and all that--but when they get stuck in a "policing" and "security" situation, that's when things go downhill. I cringe everytime we get them involved in long, drawn-out situations like this. That's when the casualties start piling up. Our military is the greatest in the world, but when politicians lose sight of the military's "mission", that's when the tragedies start piling up.
1:40 Spoken like a true Canadian. Freedom isn't free. The true waste of a young person that is willing to pay the ultimate price for your freedom is that their thanks is a cowards's post that calls them a whack-job. Thank you brave young men and women that defend us.
2:08 if you think those over there in Iraq dodging car bombs are fighting for our freedom you must be on drugs too.
We hang our yellow ribbons, put the bumper stickers on our cars - all saying thank you to our troops, but when it comes down to it, we are no safer as a nation now vs. before the invasion and all those billions, if not trillions of dollars (little bang for our buck).
Did he think he was joining up to build roads in Wise County or somethin?
Uh, 2:41 -- how many attacks have taken place on American soil since 9/11?
Zero.
You think it's because the bad guys just wanted to nail us that one time -- or is it because we're keeping them busy on soil other than our own?
241 - On what do you base your "no safer than before" opinion?
2:51-
I'm glad you view sending our young men and women to other countries, and putting their lives in danger as "keeping the enemies busy."
I'd rather we choose another method of picking their brains.
So, how are we safer? All we're doing is spending trillions of $$ plus young lives only to "help" people who don't even want us there. Just because we think we're the saviors of the world and everyone needs our wisdom. If we spent that money at home on our OWN people and kept our noses out of everyone else's business, THAT would show intelligence, as Canada, Sweden, and other neutral countries do.
Word - because Iraq had never done a damn thing to us before. Sounds like we were pretty safe!
2:51 - That is stupid remark. Where the hell did you go to college?
1:25 PTSD was prevalent after WW1 & 2. They called it shell shock.
324 - Holy mackerel. "We were pretty safe" if you don't count that unfortunate business on 9/11. I'm sure that you're right, and that it was just an anomaly, some hotheads letting off steam. Surely it would never have been repeated if we had just sat quietly. Islamic terrorists have never shown a propensity to attack soft targets over and over.
Have any of you people talked to soldiers or marines who were actually in Iraq or are you relying on MSNBC to tell you whether we are wanted there or not?
Word - Safe from Iraq/Saddam - isn't that what the post is about? Any group of 20 guys, with first class tickets and boxcutters could have done the same damn thing - whether they are Islamic extremists or not.
Funny thing - we seem to have more terrorist attacks pointed in our direction yet we spend exponentially more more money on "defense" than other countries like Canada or France. We must not be very good at managing our enemies.
440 - Okay, so you're refining your comment to "safer from Iraq." Smart move. In that case, you're comparing a Saddam Hussein-led Iraq, who kicked out weapons inspectors, who supported terrorists, who defied several UN mandates, who played cute about WMD, and who ignored several pre-invasion warnings from the U.S., with the Iraq of today, who can be considered more or less an ally.
Right.
Good point, 4:40. Other countries manage to use their money at home and stay OUT of wars, but we keep jumping right in and guess who's the continuous target? Think these two things just MIGHT be connected? Mind our own business; people might leave us the hell alone.
"I'd rather we choose another method of picking their brains."We maybe we should try using more .50BMG rounds to "pick their [terraist SOBs] brains."
Word - not an ally but definitely no threat to us. No nukes, no missles, etc. If you're saying he could have told some guys that they would be with Allah if they would blow up a plane and pay their families some cash, well maybe. But like I said, it doesn't take much to blow up some shit and there is much more of that sentiment now in Iraq than before the war; I would be my salary on that. Personally I would rather have the $2 trillion than be safe from Iraqi terrorists.
what's a terraist? and how will a .50MBG whatchamacallit protect me from one? :)
That sucks. I'm sorry for his family.
518 - You're claim is that Saddam Hussein was no threat to the United States. Bill Clinton disagreed. So did a lot of other intelligence experts. Of course, 20/20 hindsight bestows immense wisdom on everyone.
Yeah, they would be SO much better off at Mcdonalds or Walmart.
What about the MILLIONS who come home fine, do well, put their shoulder into it and go on with their lives?
Any of you who did not read, in its entirety, the link WK provided in his 6:13 post, are blinded by your politics and doomed by your blindness.
I'm not really surprised, just saddened that you refuse to pay attention.
Thanks Kyle
A "terraist" is GWB's version of a "terrorist." Kinda like "nuculear" energy and "strategery."
Okay, Will Ferrell made that last one up.
Right-I had blocked out the last 8 years of GWB vernacular, but I guess it has weaved itself into the very culture of our society. Oh the memories!
I would bet that ninety percent of the people on this never post never went nor their parents. DAGO
Anybody ever stop to consider he may have been a big ole fat loser to start with?
Providing aid and comfort to those enemies prolongs the war and adds to the burden of our military members.By which you mean letting members of Al Qaeda spend a night at our places, right?
wordy - I know yer nevr rong, but it's your, not you're at 6:13.
Iraq is a killing field where the enemy is concentrated and eliminated. It has been working.
1103 - Yeah, I know, I saw it after it posted. It wasn't worth going back with a correction. Ya got me.
Xan - Right. Or by a political leader publicly claiming that the war is lost. Or by publishing the details of a secret program designed to capture the enemy.
Our military is a place where many young men go to try to find themselves. Some never do. It tends to attract those drawn to alcohol and drug abuse. Sorry folks, I was there and saw it. Where is my disability check for my post-traumatic stress disorder? Sort of like ADD (attention deficit disorder), we all have it. We have too many "disorders" that are only variations within the population. The solution is to get rid of all the wacho psychologist and psychiatrist who choose a profession in life because they are "trying to find themselves".
Bottom line is, that young man's death probably had nothing to do with war. I don't give a rat's ass what picture the news media is trying to paint.
The "terrorists" involved in making ours lives tough have been around for more than 200 years. They are called "Wahhabists". In fact, they have been around longer than the US has been a country. Their goal was, and still is, the destruction of western culture, and the support and rise of radical Islamic culture. They are against any infiltration of western culture into any Islamic state. Back then, their targets were Britain, Spain, Portugal, etc. They had little money and worse weapons.
Their goals are the same today, but their weapons and resources are much greater. Their targets are hardly just the US. Canada and Sweden are not high on their list, but are on the list.
With their improved resources from drug money and yes, oil, they will continue to be a greater and greater threat.
You should decide to stop them now, because they will never stop, unless they are destroyed to a large degree.
Your motivation; life, freedom, must be greater than their motivation, religion. Unless of course you do not mind converting to radical Islam, and following Sharia law.
Wordkyle,
Your link in the 6:13pm post is very good. It points out how very good hindsight is, and how it is not limited by political party.
Very good link.
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