This is a horrible but real story...
"My nephew, who is in "special forces" in the Army, just came back for a leave from Iraq after being there for 18 months, but will be shipping BACK to Iraq again for a second tour in about 2 weeks.

Christmas Eve, we watched him sit in a chair, and drink an entire fifth of Jack Daniels. He would not talk, he would not answer questions, he would not do anything except sit in the chair and drink steadily. His parents do not know what he does in Iraq, because he cannot tell them, they never know exactly where he is in Iraq (or wherever he is sent) because he is not allowed to communicate with them during his tour.

None of his cousins, who are his age and who he grew up with, could communicate with him at all, and it frightened them completely. This young man is 24 years old. My 26 year old son told me "Mom, he is walking dead."

I do not expect this young man to make it back alive, I really don't.

Pray for him and all the other young men and women who have been mentally and physically brutalized by the lies of their commander in chief. They will need all our help and love and support for a LONG time.

Shame, Shame, Shame on the pRresident."

I'm hip. People don't have a clue what happens to our kids in war until it's your kid. My only daughter recently returned from Afghanistan. She's not the same. Not like a pod person, but subtley changed. She has PTSD from the constant fear. You don't have to be in intense combat to get your brain screwed up by war. My daughter did get shot at however. A lot happens in the "other" war that we don't know. Parents and other loved ones of vets need to speak out. This is serious and it's real.

A cross post

This seemed to go here and on the post where it originally found its way.