May 5, 2011
Plastic toy soldiers reimagined to represent the effects of war
From the art collective Dorothy:
In July 2009 Colorado Springs Gazettea published a two-part series entitled “Casualties of War”. The articles focused on a single battalion based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, who since returning from duty in Iraq had been involved in brawls, beatings, rapes, drunk driving, drug deals, domestic violence, shootings, stabbings, kidnapping and suicides.
Returning soldiers were committing murder at a rate 20 times greater than other young American males.
A separate investigation into the high suicide rate among veterans published in the New York Times in October 2010 revealed that three times as many California veterans and active service members were dying soon after returning home than those being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
We hear little about the personal hell soldiers live through after returning home.
(via Inspire Me Now)
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so sad, the last two are the most depressing.
Dislike.
Thanks for posting this. If I were more awesome and subversive, I’d buy some and sneak them into the regular packs of plastic soldiers.
My son suffers from PTSD since returning from Iraq. I think, as a mom, my biggest surprise and biggest heartache is that the war isn’t over for them when they come home. In my naivete I counted the days until he returned home thinking THEN he will be safe. Once the PTSD surfaced I was sadly surprised.
Two of my son’s friends were killed in an IED explosion. They were in the vehicle directly in front of my son’s vehicle. My son was first on scene and his friend died in his arms. My day of rejoicing at my son’s safety was a day of despair and sadness for two other families. I think this incident haunts my son’s thoughts.
grace to you.
However, God has been faithful and has brought my son to someone who has helped him. It was rough for a while but he’s doing so much better!
I wrote on my blog about my concerns about the effects of war on my son.. a friend of mine who authored the Yellow Ribbon Devotional had my blog entry published in her book! Whenever I am tempted to be discouraged by my son’s PTSD I go back and read my own blog and am reminded of God’s faithfulness all over again.
Sorry this was such a long response… seeing those plastic figures reminded me of how our soldiers need help and prayer when they return.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. May I say at the same time, thank you and I’m sorry.
I’ll be praying for your son.
Oops, from me not Diana.
Thank you so very much for your prayers!
that “grace to you” ended up in the middle of my post!! not sure how it ended up there.. it was supposed to close the post. :)
I don’t remember seeing these in the Toy Story movies.