My thoughts: Not for the easily offended!!!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

My thoughts: Not for the easily offended!! Current mood: contemplative If this blog offends whoever may read it, that is not my intention, and I am not sorry for stating my opinion on this very close to heart matter. This is not directed at anybody in particular, but this subject is very dear to me and a part of my life forever. The Purple Heart I am a wife of a seriously wounded soldier. He received a purple heart for his wounds suffered. It bites me and I am offended when I hear of soldiers who receive it for little things that cause them really no harm. Where Curt works at the WTU there are guys who have purple hearts who don't have a scratch on them. One received one because a bullet grazed his hand and he was taken to the aid station, they looked at it, put some cream on his tiny burn sent him back out to finish the mission and he got a purple heart. Today--you can't even see a scar or anything. This offends me. I believe you should EARN the purple heart. To me only people who are wounded enough to have to be hospitalized and need more than just a bandaid should get this award. This is an award though that no one wishes to have. I sure as hell wish we didn't have one. If I was standing with two guys, both who earned purple hearts. One who has no legs and missing an eye and fingers on a hand because a bomb blew up in his hand, and the other guy standing and looking completely normal with no visible wounds or scars and his story is he was "grazed" with shrapnel or a bullet or whatever. Who's story are you gonna want to hear? Who's the real wounded warrior? This subject is very touchy with me. And it pains me to see how they give out this award for any little thing these days. This award is very dear to me, because it affects our lives forever. My husband will never be the same that he was before he endured nine surgeries, got stuffed full of pins and plates all up and down his left leg and he can never grip someones right hand with a scar from his two hand surgeries. He shakes with his left hand now. We have had to learn to adapt our lives to his injuries. My husand now instead of walking up and down stairs holds on to the rails and hops down on one foot. He can never swim the way he did, never run again. Never. I'm not putting this out there to downgrade the soldiers who have received purple hearts and were not seriously wounded. I know this award has been around for centuries. Every soldier to me is a hero. Someone who is willing to risk their life for us and their country. I just think that the real purpose of the purple heart has been knocked down. And that offends not only me, but also the guys, women, and families who's life is affected forever by this un-most wanted award.....