The guys name is Nick. All I know is that there were eight in his unit, group, whatever you would call it. Six are dead two, including Nick, were wounded pretty bad. He is in an intensive care unit with some sort of head trauma.
I have known Nick for many years, we sort of grew up together. After my sister was born my mom wanted to stay home and raise both of us so she quit her job and started a home daycare business. It was like I had a dozen or more brothers and sisters while I was growing up. All playing with my toys, taking naps in my room, eating lunch with me. Nick was one of those kids. My mom was sort of a second mother to him, and the rest of those kids. She is crying right now and taking this pretty badly.
I remember Nick being a pretty shy and awkward kid, a bit of a dork, but still a nice guy. I lost touch with him around the age of twelve or so.
The next time I saw him was about a year ago. A party was being held because he had just returned from Iraq. The first time I had spoken to him in years and goodness but he had changed. A 180. He was now a cursing, heavy drinking, tattooed and muscled military badass. Nothing like the shy boy that I had remembered. I talked to him for a bit and realized that this was not the same guy. I left the party early and heard that he ended up getting really drunk and passed out later.
He ended up volunteering to go back to Iraq for another tour of duty.
He seemed kind of self-destructive. I remember thinking at the party that he wants something like this to happen. My views were cemented when I heard he was going back. I have only ever felt like that once before about a girl that, sure enough, ended up killing herself a few months later.
I hope he comes home safe.
I don’t really feel much of anything about it. I do not know why. I honestly did not feel anything when 9/11 happened either. It is all like I am watching some TV show about this happening.
I do not even know why I am posting this. I guess it is that I feel that this is the sort of personal drama that you are supposed to post to fill the ever hungry maw of an Internet forum. You are supposed to post things that personalize the war. Things that bring it home.
I don’t know.
I’m gonna go get drunk now.
Here is Nicks website: http://www.valleyweb.org/nick/
A preemptive Fuck You to anyone that tries contacting the family or makes them aware of this post. It is not something that I want Nicks mom reading.
Anyway, go read the greatest joke ever told. It is pretty good.