US Army inadvertently identifies 'real, painful and horrifying human costs of war' by asking former soldiers to explain how serving impacted them
The U.S. Army may have gotten more than it bargained for when it recently asked on Twitter, "How has serving impacted you?"
The question, posed just before the nation officially marks Memorial Day, brought attention to "the real, painful, and horrifying human costs of war," said advocacy group Win Without War.
Trigger warning: This thread is a very painful read. But it is the stark truth. This Memorial Day, let us remember… https://t.co/jCy0vgjd1F— Win Without War (@Win Without War) 1558739152.0
Observers described the responses, which came from veterans, their loved ones, and people from countries where U.S. has waged war, as "brutal" and "heartbreaking."
A sampling of the responses follows:
Your army destroyed my country. #Iraq https://t.co/3Jl02iLWZ8— Ruba Ali Al-Hassani (@Ruba Ali Al-Hassani) 1558756111.0
@USArmy The agent orange my grandfather was exposed to in Vietnam caused his cancer & death, and possibly caused th… https://t.co/HBBUYftlHH— Llewys😳 (@Llewys😳) 1558882173.0
@USArmy The “Combat Cocktail”: PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage. It… https://t.co/N4jHBc9LRh— Uncle Sean (@Uncle Sean) 1558861830.0
@USArmy After 15 years in I was kicked out after showing obviously signs of PTSD and depression. Now I can't functi… https://t.co/rbWUpIaBcs— Cory Schabacker (@Cory Schabacker) 1558863062.0
@USArmy My uncle is still MIA in Laos. He was involved in a secret war, and the military lied to my family about hi… https://t.co/AT9ojxaxkV— Karen DuVall🌹 (@Karen DuVall🌹) 1558843010.0
Veterans for Peace also drew attention to war's devastation
"Our message for Memorial Day is to remember all who have died in war and to understand that no one wins," said Michael McPhearson, the organization's executive director.
"There are people who profit from war, mainly those who invest in the defense industry or possibly the oil sector. But the veterans and civilians who survive war suffer for the rest of their lives," said McPhearson. "And the entire society is robbed of billions of tax dollars which could be spent on jobs, education, healthcare, infrastructure and sustainable energy."
