Dad, I've been hit. I've lost both my legs.

[FourScore]

Dad, I've been hit. I've lost both my legs.
by allenjo
Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 01:59:21 PM PST

A father answering his phone, with caller ID showing US Government-Honolulu, hears his son's voice,

"Dad, I've been hit. I've lost both my legs."

"Where are you? Where are you?" the father asks.

"I'm in Afghanistan," his son said. "I can't talk.
They're taking me to Germany. I can contact you in 24 hours."

Then the line went dead.

The father screamed his son's name, and started to cry.

I was sitting in a coffee shop last night, reading an article about this local Marine in Afghanistan, in the St. Pete Times, written by a staff writer named Drew Harwell. His writing had a way of bringing the horrors of war to people here at home in such a chilling way that you find tears welling in your eyes.

An unbelievable horror, so chilling when I read it. And thinking, just thinking the depth of my grief if that had been my son. And being so thankful and relieved that it wasn't. But still feeling an overwhelming sorrow, that our sons and daughters, our loved ones, so far from home, are fighting in this war now going on 10 years, and seems to be endless.

The father then called his wife to come home from work...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/12/2/924957/-Dad,-Ive-been-hit.-Ive-lost-both-my-legs.

[Solly Mack]

1. k/r

[Mimosa]

2. This has to END!!!!! n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. It will end the same way it ended in...sfghanistan for...

The Ruskies, and that day is nearer than most people realize.

[democrank]

4. So very sad.

Bring them home, every last one of them.

[seabeyond]

5. going on 10 years,... ya know. russia did this. we know how stupid it was for them

i cannot believe....

well, anyway, to your post.

my first thought is, he is alive. but ya to what you are saying. hurts the heart

[Hissyspit]

6. It was Julian Assange's fault.

:sarcasm: :grr:

[redwitch]

7. My nephew shipped out to Afghanistan yesterday.

I can't imagine a call like this.

[CountAllVotes]

9. my cousin is over there now

All of the promises that were made to him by the Army when they convinced him to enlist were a crock o'crap! THEY LIE!

Damn them all, damn them!!

Let's hope our relatives return home safely VERY soon!!!

U.S. OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST/AFGHANISTAN AND ALL OTHER OCCUPIED FOREIGN LANDS!

:dem:

[redwitch]

10. My nephew has always wanted a military career.

I wish he had always wanted to be an actor, a cowboy, a bus driver, a chef, a bass player, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer...



Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be soldiers. My SIL is worried sick.

[CountAllVotes]

13. you never know

My cousin's father is an ex-cop so he has been raised around guns and killing, etc. He seems to be fitting in just fine I was told. Frankly, I am not too surprised.

At one time in my life I worked for the DoD. I did not last long in this career as I wasn't meant for it. It is a beat 'em or join 'em sort of a thing. In my own case, I just quit the job and left.

Some people enjoy and thrive on the structure that the military provides for them.

Frankly, I'd find something else to provide a form of structure in my life if I thought I really needed something like this.

To each their own I suppose.

However, I do hope that your nephew makes it home safely and in a condition that is ok. I really do mean that. I can only imagine how upset you SIL must feel on a moment to moment basis (like every time the phone rings ...). :(

As for you, hang in there yourself. :hug:

:dem:

[progressoid]

18. Sounds familiar.

My nephew fell in love with the military too. He has been there for about a year. His parents deal with it day by day but it is stressful.

I just sent him a Christmas care package.

Hang in there.

[Hissyspit]

8. Link to Original Article:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/pasco-county-marine-calls-home-to-say-he-lost-both-legs-in-explosion-in/1137361

[ladjf]

11. How can we get out of those lunatic wars in Irag and Afghanistan? nt

[revolution breeze]

12. We have felt this horror in our family twice.

Not phone calls, an Army chaplain pulling up in a black car with a government license plate. The first my nephew Braden, not even 21 years old, lost in Afghanistan. Fast forward three years, the scenario repeats itself, this time Joe in Iraq. Six months later I saw a black car with government license plates and my blood ran cold. This time they were visiting my friend whose son had just returned to Kandahar three week previously. He had been on R&R because members of his unit had hit an IED and he had been the only survivor of the patrol. It was that call I always feared as a Navy wife, thankfully I never got.

[leftynyc]

21. {{[revolutation breze}}}

I'm so sorry your family has been hit so hard by these wars.

[WinkyDink]

14. We aren't "fighting a war." We are being repelled by citizens of a nation we illegally invaded.

[Swamp Rat]

15. STOP THE FUCKING WARS OBAMA!!!

:mad:

[BlueIris]

22. Uh...

I think if he wanted to do that it would have been done already. He was put in the White House to continue Afghanistan.

[bluedigger]

16. I know Mel Gibson is persona non grata here, but...

if you haven't seen the movie We Were Soldiers Once and Proud http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277434/ check it out. In the middle of the battle the film goes back to the US, where the casualties survivor's are being informed of their loss. It is heartrending, and is based on a true event.

[Mimosa]

25. That's one of his better films

Very true to life.

No matter what kind of person Mel is some of his films are excellent.

I'm not one of those locksteppers who won't watch Woody Allen or Roman Polanski films because they aren't nice people.

[pinboy3niner]

28. "We Were Soldiers" had a great book to go by

It was made from "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young," which is the best nonfiction battle account from the Vietnam War. The book was written by Harold Moore, who was the commander in the battle, and Joe Galloway, a war correspondent who was working for UPI at the time. (And Galloway is one of the few civilians to be awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.)

The movie shows the Army making death notifications to next-of-kin by telegram. It was during the VN War that the policy was changed, and all notifications began to be made by personal visit (though telegrams continued to be used for non-fatal casualty notifications).

[w8liftinglady]

17. I remember getting a call from my son at 0100 from Landstuhl

"Mom,I...uh...just got a little torn up"

he was at Landstuhl for several months for surgery/therapy before being sent back.
I remember those calls.
They are the ultiate mind-f*ck for a parent...you don't know if the kid is alive/dead/dying/what.

I feel for the family.I was a lucky mom.

[Steely_Dan]

19. What Really Disturbs Me...

is that the latest poll in Afghanistan shows that 93% don't even know why we are in their country. Some think it's just an extension of the Russian occupation...Most have no idea that we went their originally because of a terrorist attack on our country on 9/11.

-P

[crikkett]

20. thank God the kid's alive

and he'll be coming home.

TROOPS HOME NOW

[Tracer]

23. My neighbor's son was killed in Afghanistan two days ago.

What a grievous blow to his parents this is. And to all the other sorrowful parents.

And for what?

What have we gained, compared to all that we have lost?

[driver8]

24. Oh, man...

I am so sorry for their loss.

Such a tragedy -- you are right; what have we gained?

Not a fucking thing.

[Mimosa]

26. My condolences to your neighbour.

This war is stupid. So many are being killed and injured for what?

Most join the military to get an education they can't otherwise afford. Or because they can't find jobs which pay a living wage here. :(

[ProfessionalLeftist]

27. and for f*cking WHAT?

Heartbreaking. :cry: