Thanks For Your Service

“Two million Americans were sent to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. … Studies show that 20-30% have come home with PTSD or TBI (traumatic brain injury). … Every war has its after-war, and so it is with the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, which have created some 500,000 mentally wounded American veterans.”

This, from Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel, which is already ripping my guts out and I’m only on page 11. I read lots of non-fiction and I start and then stop plenty because they don’t draw me in. Like I said, page 11 but I have to go back to work tonight and sleep sometime so …

When I heard the NPR story on this book, I knew I had to read it and it arrived today.  I’ve always felt we owe the kids who went over to fight after 9/11, plenty. I imagine after I finish this I will realize we owe them more than we can ever hope to repay.