by Charles Anderson
Thursday, September 15, I had an experience that few people get to have. I attended the Washington, D.C. opening of THE GROUND TRUTH, a motion picture about the human cost of the Iraq war.
"Are you one of the actors in this film?" a reporter asked me as I went into the screening. I was a bit surprised by the question and replied, "No, this isn't a made up story, it's our lives."
Two years ago when I sat down with the filmmaker, Patricia Foulkrod, I never imagined that I would be watching myself in a movie that opened in eight major American cities. But I am proud to have part of this film because the views of many Iraq Veterans are not represented in the mainstream media. But they are represented here.
I have been disillusioned with public perceptions of the war for some time. The president constantly uses us as window dressing for his photo ops where he says that he honors us by "staying the course."
The media shows a sanitized and distorted view of Iraq. Even if the media showed the destruction and the body parts, the viewer would not get the whole picture. They wouldn't smell Iraq, they wouldn't taste it, they wouldn't go to bed with it still caked to their clothes and they wouldn't still wake up screaming months or years later because of what they had seen or done.
Yet, when people find out I am a veteran of this mess they usually say "thank you for your service" or they tell me that they are proud of what I did over there. But they don't usually ask me about that service.
I don't want to hear how proud people are of what I did over there or be thanked. I did nothing in Iraq I consider honorable. I was a scared kid riding into a battle I didn't understand. Our convoys streamed past thousands of starving children and people needing medical attention. Our tanks fired into villages and we battled among civilian populations that had committed no crime aside from being born in Iraq. There was no honor in this, only destruction and suffering saddled on a people that had already suffered more in the preceding fourteen years than most Americans suffer in a lifetime.
The media reports the war as though it is completely tangible and quantifiable. The news media reports the number of American dead, the number of Iraqi civilian dead, and perhaps the number of American wounded. But we usually don't hear the voices of veterans who did not return home "well adjusted." We don't hear about the veterans that are mad as hell and want the American people to hear their stories along side the party line.
I am proud to be part of THE GROUND TRUTH, in large part because it tells our stories. A country, such as ours, that claims to support its troops and claims to be proud of their service owes it to the veterans to listen to them and hear their stories, even the ones who disagree.
I encourage anyone who reads this blog to visit the film's website http://thegroundtruth.net/, purchase the DVD and sign up to have a house party where they will show the film to their friends. If you want to honor the veterans, listen to us.
Reader's Comments:
betagirl: Every time I hear someone say they support our troops, my blood boils. I want them to come into our world and live our life for just one week. To endure the mood swings, the nightmares, the unprovoked anger. Thank you for putting into words what so many of us are living with.
Erroll: "I don't want to hear how proud people are of what I did over there or be thanked. There was no honor in this, only destruction and suffering..." Well said. I was not able to come to grips what the contribution that I had made to a similar war machine in a place called Vietnam until Bush made the ill-fated decision to invade Iraq. Likewise, those featured in the documentary Sir, No Sir! came to a similar conclusion as you did, realizing that they could no longer be comfortable in those atrocities that they witnessed and participated in while being in Vietnam. You are doing what more soldiers are now doing in Iraq and that is questioning the reasons why the United States should continue to remain in Iraq. Bring those troops home and bring them home as quickly as possible.
randyw: Thank you... this is what all Americans need to hear... the Goddamn truth for a change!!!
dap: Dear Charles, It is good to know you are home, it is great to know that you're still of the spirit to fight for our beloved Country by exposing what is going on in the name of We, the People. This Bu$h Junta and criminal cabal has done more to harm America then any group of terrorist "Ever" could do. I almost didn't even comment to your posting, because I get so emotionally move by all of this, my eyes have been welling up more times that I like to remember, then the anger comes. Yet I had to send you my heart felt support. Agape.
argy: I guess that the thanks people express are well intended, but maybe we don't know how to say "I'm sorry you were sent to such a hellhole."
NoFactsJustTruth: How about a thank you then for just telling us your truth. My sons best friend came home with brain damage from an Iraqi IED, just one of many thousands retuning this way. And now, occasional headlines read that most Iraqis think it's OK to kill US soldiers. I will find and see this story of your lives, but you should listen to those thank yous also, once in awhile. Most Americans no longer believe Iraq was justified and the thank you from many will really mean an apology, and an "I'm sorry I helped send you there."
lowenbrew: Very powerful article. Unfortunately Americans for the most part can't be bothered with things that are unplesant to them. Instead of educating themselves on such issues, people here are either working too many hours or would rather read about Paris Hilton, Rosie, and other things that don't impact their lives. Remember... we can't show people comming home in coffins. However you can be against the war, support people in the Armed Services, and still be very American, despite what this Administration says!
wkitwizard: "Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them"How sad that the American media fail us utterly. They could be telling this truth to the US citizens, but instead, bow to corporate greed and GOP power. Bush will go down in history as one of the very worst leaders of all time. The Iraq-nam fiasco will be a black mark in the written chapter of our country.
exhaustedsoccermom: Welcome home. Boy, do we ever need you and your returning comrades to make noise right now. Looking forward to seeing The Ground Truth.
bc6255: David Brooks of the New York Times writes that the Democrats don't understand the jihadists in Iraq. If this is true, why are the veterans of this conflict who return home and run for public office run as Democrats?
altabird: You're right Charles. I'm an Iraq Vet as well, just starting school at a fairly conservative Texas University, and am almost nuasious listening to people's cliched view of war. The student board here is considering censuring the U's daily paper for displaying the Death Toll. They insist that ribbons or flags or feel good quotes be tagged on to the number. They think this is some kind of idea working out "way over there" and not people being blown to F%#@ing bits. Thanks for the post.
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