Customer Reviews

Surviving Iraq: Soldiers' Stories

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This anthology provides a needed perspective to the war in Iraq. The narratives in this book are not from the people who planned the war but from those who have been asked to risk their lives and mental well being to carry it out.

Author Elise Tripp keeps her personal views of the war to herself leaving the soldiers free to tell their tales and vent their opinions. Her light editing approach does mean, the stories spill out sometimes chaotically and at their own pace--but themes and patterns do emerge.

The narratives of the young soldiers often start out with eagerness to participate in the adventure of war, followed by growing disillusionment as the reality of war sinks in. The high-pressure tactics of recruiters in all too many cases leads to disappointments and feelings of betrayal. The order to keep driving even if a child jumps in front of a convoy, crops up in a surprising number of the narratives. It is one of the wrenching moral adjustments demanded of human beings for whom saving a life, is more instinctive than taking one.

I was surprised to find so little bitterness in these narratives by men and women who have hazarded and experienced so much for a country that has shared so little of their sacrifice; nor do they spend much time carping against a leadership that so obviously underestimated the complexities of occupying Iraq after the initial invasion.

This is not a political book, but you do not have read very far to sense how much we are failing our returning soldiers. In almost every narrative the soldiers experience discomfort returning to the U.S.--to a population largely uncomprehending of what they have been through.

Sergeant Scott E. Palmer describes his reentry into the US: "I needed to make my brain chemistry into some sort of logical working. I feel like I lost the person that I used to be. Not only that, but I hate the person I used to be. But in addition to that, I still am, in many ways, the person I used to be... You lose sight of who you are, what you are, how you interact with the world around you..." His prose flounders a little but, like almost all the narratives in this book, it is all the more eloquent for being unpolished

First Sergeant Russell W. Anderson, Jr. quotes a marine he met: "They only care if you're still giving, not if you gave." The "they" is, of course, us voters and the leaders we elect. It is message that we should take to heart.

"Surviving Irag: Soldier's Stories", is a really valuable read for anyone wanting to know more about the Iraq War from the soldier's point of view--or, more accurately, from soldiers' points of view, since thirty veterans have been interviewed for this book. These vivid narratives, skillfully edited by Elise Forbes Tripp to give an overview of key aspects of the veterans' experiences, provides much deeper understanding than even in-depth TV news coverage is able (for instance, ABC's fine documentary about the effects and treatment of severe brain injuries, focused on those sustained by ABC anchor Bob Woodward). The individuality of these veterans' experiences and the profound effects on their lives is one of the lasting impressions I've taken from this book. The reader comes away with new compassion and understanding of the ordeals and challenges these young men and women have undergone, appreciation of their bravery, and a small hope that some will contribute to the political changes needed to end this terrible period in our history.

The author's bias is obvious, for a clear example see the comment posted below about page 22. I rated it one star, only because this is the minimum allowed.