LATimes: Hospital Front - Extensive Report Tragic Injuries to Soldiers

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-na-wounded9nov09,1,963909.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The physical therapists on the fifth floor of Walter Reed Army Medical Center have a bulletin board they call their Wall of Heroes. It is crammed with photos of young soldiers in their care — soldiers wounded in the war in Iraq.

The images of the amputees and burn victims stand out, a tragic irony of an important advance in military protective gear.

The new armored vests that soldiers are wearing in this war protect the human torso and have saved countless lives, but often at a terrible price. One day last week, all but 20 of the 250 beds at the center were taken up with casualties of the war. Fifty of them have lost limbs, often more than one. Dozens more suffer burns and shrapnel wounds that begin where their armored vests ended.

On average, they are 23 years old.

Many would have died except for their Kevlar vests, which stopped rounds from a Kalashnikov rifle, a 9-millimeter handgun or fragments from a grenade. There have been more wounded — and over a longer period — than the hospital expected.

"We didn't start when the war began because we didn't have any idea," said Maj. Mary Hannah, a physical therapist. "Even the most experienced people here — it is beyond their imagining. These are our babies. And they just keep coming, coming, coming."...."If we had a picture of everyone, it would take up a whole wall."

[T Bone]

1. The people who care for these types of soldiers often end up

suffering horribly over the rest of their lives as well, from all they have 'seen'. It is very hard on these caretakers for the rest of their lives. Most people don't realize that the medical personnel and medics from every war suffer their own unending nightmares.

[opihimoimoi]

3. The Medics and the GRC guys have to contend with images for a lifetime.

War is not a YeeeHaaah thing but much sadness, pain, misery, and lost opportunities. Fuck the chickenhawks, they are truly evil people who profit from death and suffering

[alittlelark]

10. Some of them

Some of these people who care for our vets are like my mother. She works at a VA hosp. in NM. She understands that God makes his choices as to who lives or dies...it is according to divine will. God (bush) has chosen who will live or die, regardless of the funds available for treatment. She is disturbed by the inequity, however, when we all get to heavan it will be equal.

war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength

Gina

[newyawker99]

11. Hi alittllark!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ComerPerro]

2. Good to see someone is mentioning the numerous wounded

Its the administration's dirty little secret.

[Eloriel]

4. OMG -- look at these numbers

A half hour away, at Andrews Air Force Base, the tennis court and gymnasium of the fitness center have become a medical staging facility for those evacuated from the war zone. More than 7,500 have come through since April.

In addition to the nearly 1,900 who have gone on to Walter Reed, another 1,500 have been sent to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., which treats the injured from the Navy and Marines. Several thousand less seriously wounded soldiers have been sent directly to some of the military's dozens of smaller hospitals and clinics around the country.


SEVENTY-FIVE HUNDRED. I think I'm going to be ill.

Eloriel

[RamboLiberal]

5. And 650 burn paitients - did anyone see report Aaron Brown did

late last week from Brooks? Interviewed a couple of soldiers who were badly burned when their vehicles caught fire after attacks.

From LAT:
Burn victims, for example, are often sent to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, known for its advanced burn unit. As of late October, a total of 605 soldiers from the war had been treated at Brook, dozens with life-threatening burns. Today, five soldiers are still being treated there for burns; another 40 are outpatients.

[proud patriot]

6. The Nurses and Doctors do an amazing job

God Bless them ...for taking care of our "babies"

[Old and In the Way]

7. Modern medicine is amazing, no doubt.

I'm sure many would have died from their wounds in previous wars. There are going to be a whole new class of soldiers that will live with tremendous physical problems that will remind us of the true cost of this war.....so unnecessary.

[grasswire]

8. even this good reporting...

...doesn't tell America how many of those suffering wounds die after being shipped out of Iraq.

[aeon flux]

9. Isn't Jessica Lynch in a wheelchair

I can't imagine what it must be like to become permanently handicapped when you're just barely 21. These innocent youth barely out of high school in many cases having their lives destroyed senselessly for King George's stinking war. :cry:

[RamboLiberal]

12. I'm kicking this for the day crowd - important story IMHO

:kick:

[eileen_d]

13. Thanks

It is important to get a more realistic count of the losses in this war. A sobering story. 'They just keep coming and coming.'

[bleedingheart]

14. This is just tragic!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

15. Kick

eom