Apache Apocalypse: Real Faces of War

01 September 2012

http://www.liveleak.com/ll_embed?f=f213b73d647e

People who are uncomfortable with methodically killing the enemy have no place in combat units.  People who are uncomfortable with the idea of being blown to pieces should not go to war.

This combat video is only a small taste, a whiff, of reality.  Many Americans love to hoot and holler and cheer and celebrate as we kill and dismember the enemies.  The U.S. military itself releases the videos on a common basis, and I have released worse from my own camera.

Yet when the enemy releases videos blowing up our vehicles, killing our people, we become furious, indignant, self-righteous.  "How dare those savages do that and make video!"  "Kill them all!," we say.

Afghanistan (image found online: source unknown.)

These years of war have made me sick of listening to self-righteous ramble.  They've made me sick listening to those who somehow derived PTSD from watching "Apocalypse Now" too many times.  There will be veterans who read this, and see these images, who saw far worse, far more times than they can keep straight in their memories.  And yet they move on just like they did over there.  My memories of our incredible combat troops will forever remain an inspiration for me.

Why pretend what is happening?  The combat troops and the Afghan children who live there already know.  The people who go keyboard crazy when such photos are published are the ones at home waving the flag, pretending we are planting roses in the desert.

We must preserve our incredible fighting force for times when we really need them.  This war is senseless.

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