Six Years Later...What Have We Gained?

After days of trying to post from my documents and not being able, I am deciding to just compose from scratch. So... here it goes.

August was a difficult time in 2005. Lima Co. Marines from Columbus, Ohio suffered many losses. On this day, August 3rd, 14 Marines from one platoon were killed when their Amtrac hit an i.e.d. This followed the killing of two Marines a few days before followed by the killing of 6 snipers the day before. It was hard to keep up. Their was so much grief and worry from families we didn't know where to put our anger. That was then. Here we are six years later. We still have grief, worry and anger. Grief is hard to overcome. You wonder what those young men would be doing today if they still had a choice. How do the families and all those left behind cope?
And we still worry. Those who survived carry the wounds of war every day. They carry guilt and wonder why they survived. They don't see themselves as heroes. They see those who "gave all" as heroes. And they carry the memories of war in their souls. Many never sleep a restful night.
And we still have anger. Anger at the justification for having gone to war in the first place. Was it the last resort? Was it worth the lives of these young men? Really? What have we gained?