My Wounded Soldier... wk 6

It's on a somber note that I start all my piles (and yes, I mean PILES) of homework today..

The day started out just like any other, but I received some very awful news. My friend Matthew that I wrote my personal blog about a few weeks ago was hurt in Iraq. His convoy was traveling into the city (though I'm not allowed to know which one) and an IED (improvised explosive device, aka bomb) exploded taking the lives of 70% of the men there. Matt was lucky though, if you can call it that. He broke several ribs and there are lacerations all over his face. For now, he is being hospitalized in Germany, but within the next few days he'll be back in the States. For a few months they'll have him stationed in Texas, doing therapy and keeping him trained for when he has to go back again. I probably won't get to see him until Christmas at the earliest...

All of this just brings it home for me. The war in Iraq is real. It affects real people, and real families, and real friends. I can't imagine what I'd be doing now if Matt hadn't been in the 30% of survivors. I've been worried sick all day/night just thinking about him being in pain and in a foreiegn country across the Atlantic Ocean where I can't go see him. I know that people in the class who read this won't feel as affected as I do, but please do me a favor and hug a soldier the next time you meet one, because I know I'll hug mine the first chance I get!