Deserter's surrender highlights war's emotional trauma...

[marmar]

Published on Thursday, October 5, 2006 by OneWorld.net
Deserter's Surrender Highlights War's Emotional Trauma
by Aaron Glantz

SAN FRANCISCO - The emotional ravages of war are at issue following the surrender to military officials of Specialist Darrell Anderson, a decorated U.S. soldier who fled to Canada rather than return to Iraq.
Anderson, who won a Purple Heart for taking shrapnel to protect the rest of his unit from a roadside bomb, turned himself in at Fort Knox, Kentucky on Tuesday after seeking refuge in Canada.

Anderson's mother and lawyer anticipated that the U.S. Army would spare him harsh punishment and instead allow him to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

While military officials had yet to pronounce their final decision as of Wednesday, Anderson's case highlighted what veterans' advocates identified as the challenge of tending to returning warriors' emotional wounds.

''The bottom line must be to make sure that the new generation of returning veterans gets the assistance and clinical interventions they need, so that they don't develop chronic PTSD,'' John Rowan, president of Vietnam Veterans of America, said in a statement.

For his part, Anderson said he deserted last year because he could no longer fight in what he believes is an illegal war.

''I feel that by resisting I made up for the things I did in Iraq,'' he told reporters before turning himself in. ''I feel I made up for the sins I committed in this war.''

The rest of the article is at: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1005-05.htm

[Peace Patriot]

1. Wow! What a powerful statement! "I feel I made up for the sins I

committed in this war." Sins. Now that's a nice, old-fashioned word! Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, and all you Christian jihadists, cynical and not cynical, hear that? Sins!

Out of the mouths of babes.

Kudos and laurel wreaths to you, Spc. Darrel Anderson! And one day a medal for your courage from the people of the United States!

You showed the way to reclaiming our nation's soul.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. follow up

I live near Ft. Knox and today's paper has a LTTE complaining about use of a city facility for his public statement. The author pointed out that there are many veterans in the area, etc.

Deja vu, Viet Nam days....