I feel sick

[ste_noni]

One of my coworkers has a 20 year old son in the Navy. He went to Iraq a month ago and Tuesday he was "severely injured". He was in Germany this morning and is on a plane to Bethesda now, I think. Just thinking about a) Ellie being injured like that or b) Joe in Iraq makes me sick. She's holding up well. She and her daughter and the daughter's two month old son are headed to Bethesda on Monday. I'm going to go through Ellie's baby clothes to see what a two month old boy could wear (Grandma says warm is more important than pink at the moment). I think at that age I had lots of gender neutral stuff and my mom even bought some boy stuff before we knew Ellie was a girl. And I'm giving her my baby Bjorn and cover so they can keep him warm.

I'm so glad I can do something, but I still am so upset for them. 20 years old! Apparently he got shrapnel in the back of his head, ear, shoulder and back.

Comments

[cindywrites.livejournal.com]

May it only be severe enough to keep him home for good, and may he recovery completely. The poor boy. Twenty? Oh, God I hate war.

[debg.livejournal.com]

Oh, crikey. I'm sorry, sweetie. This war - it really is like the middle 80's, when everyone began to realise that the six degrees of separation between them and the AIDS crisis had shrunk to one or two degrees. I don't know anyone who doesn't know someone with family or friend stuck on site dealing with this filthy war.

[mfnlaw.livejournal.com]

Damn. Just damn. I hate this frakking war. If they need anything--anything at all--I am more than willing. Feel free to pass on my cell phone number (202-256-1380). Bethesda is on the way to/from my office, and I'm in the area for work frequently. Let them know they can call at any time. It won't be an inconvenience.

Good thoughts and prayers are headed their way.

[cashmerepett.livejournal.com]

I can go through Owen's baby clothes and see what I still have in winter stuff. I gave a lot of stuff away but I may have a few things that small that I can easily mail somewhere.

Please let me know here or via email and I'll send it.

My thoughts are with your co-worker and her family.

[ste-noni.livejournal.com]

THat would be great. I'll ask her today if she wants/needs more clothes and let you know.

[ste-noni.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was thinking about sending them a care package in a few weeks, if they are there that long. Perhaps I might ask you to drop it off - if that works for you. Of course, much is still up in the air.

[ste-noni.livejournal.com]

Me too. His 21st birthday is March 7th. It just makes me so sad.

[ste-noni.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I heard there have been 40,000 injurd the other day. That's a lot of people.

[cindywrites.livejournal.com]

Ah Maria, you made me cry.

[cindywrites.livejournal.com]

Please keep us updated on him. I'm so sorry, Stephanie.

[debg.livejournal.com]

And that's the American count - when you add the Euro contingent (we have family and friends in Britain and Denmark), that goes higher.

And when my brain - or heart - tries to wrap around the civilian numbers, I freeze up and can't. I'm not a Christian, but I find that I keep going back to John Donne: Every man's death diminishes me, for I am a part of mankind.

I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I don't want anyone else to die. It's breaking down the heart of our species, inch by inch.

[mfnlaw.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Just let me know what you'd like me to do. I'll help in any way I can.