Safely Up Range
Today I visited the main armed services hospital here in Ramstein, Germany where all of our wounded troops are brought straight from the battle fields, “down range” it is called. Two flights a day bring in badly wounded young men and women. One such young man died just before we entered the building. His name will shortly pop up in a tiny column in what’s left of our local newspapers. With any luck his name might make it to broadcast just before the final credit roll this Sunday on “This Week.” It breaks your heart and at the same time fills you with pride for our young people. The head of the Intensive Care ward told me today that he thought those of us back in the US suffer from “compassion fatigue.” Sad, but true.
While we are safely back home worrying about how many women Tiger slept with and health care reform, teenagers and twenty year olds are sacrificing their limbs and life for their country, just doing their job. We should feel thankful this holiday season as we bitch and whimper safely in front of our flat screens TVs.
Happy holidays and pass the remote.
Tim, “up range” of war.