Joyce
and Kevin Lucey are members of
Military Families Speak Out and Gold
Star Families for Peace. Their son,
Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey, served in the
Marine Reserves in Iraq in 2003. He
came home neither safe nor sound. He
suffered from Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder, and took his own life on
June 22, 2004. His name is not in
the Department of Defenses' roster
of those who died in this war; yet
Cpl. Lucey is a casualty of this war
as much as any who has lost his or
her life on the battlefield. This is
their thoughts after watching
President speak at Fort Bragg on
June 28, 2005.
We
have just watched the President's
speech and we made notes as he
spoke. This is a summary of our
reflections some being very personal
but very real.
When
all this began, despite our doubts
and suspicions ,we originally
supported the efforts being made to
make the world safer and the troops
involved .. especially our son.
While
the war waged on, we waited for
anything from our son to assure us
that he and his buddies were safe.
We also waited for the for the
Weapons of Mass Destruction to be
found - after Jeff's death I prayed
for them to be found; we waited for
the network of terrorism to be found
and destroyed and we waited for that
link of Iraq to 9/11/01; we waited
to find the imminent danger which we
were facing.
Were
these not the basic premises on
which we rushed to war. Were these
not the points that this
administration went to the country
and to the UN and stated that they
had proof. Did they not say that
they had to react immediately due to
the imminent danger to our safety.
I
know that this administration has
changed the premises for the war
like a chameleon - to meet whatever
were the fears or concerns existing
at that time.
The
administration states that they are
making the world safer for our
children - but my 23 yo son is
laying in Island Pond Cemetery
despite his returning from the war
physically unscathed but destroyed
within his spirit. He no longer
lives and it was due to this rush
to war.
In
the speech tonight, we heard nothing
of the WMD; we heard nothing of
Iraq's link to 911; we heard nothing
of Iraq being the center of
terrorism except for the illusion to
Bin Laden's referral after our
country invaded and had killed
thousands of innocents.
We
heard instead of elections and
setting up "free" government in
Iraq. Were any of these among the
basic premises for the invasion?
Was
it not also said that Iraq oil would
pay for the reconstruction of the
country which we bombed and
attacked.
To
complete the mission, we need to
know what the mission was. None of
the original premises for the war
was ever realized. Why did our son
die? Why did any of our loved ones
die?
This
administration seems so distant from
the reality of both war and the
loss. It is so easy for him to say
the sacrifice is worth it when he
has personally not suffered what
1700+ families have had to endure.
What funerals has he attended among
all these 1700+? Does he meet only
with those families who support his
policies?
Will
no one ever address the deceptions
or ignorance or combination of both
which was used to wage this war and
kill thousands of innocents and
dramatically effect thousands or
millions of survivors who probably
are suffering from PTSD...and who
only have learnt how "dangerous" we
have become.
We
did all this at the expense of 1700+
lives of our own sons, daughters,
mothers, fathers and neighbors...and
this is the smallest most
conservative number of the numbers
which may be true. Will our son be
counted - NO.
The
administration states that it will
send more troops if requested but in
reality how many more troops do we
have to send.
They
speak of the number of Iraqis who
died under Saddam but how many
innocents have died under our bombs
and attacks.
People speak of constitutions. Our
constitution - where in it does it
enable us to be the caretakers of
all other nations. What gives us
the right to Impose our values and
expectations on others.
We
attacked Iraq to remove Saddam -
that was one of the subsequent
changes in the basic premises but we
would ask you - why Saddam? Why
Iraq? Why didn't the focus go
directly to Al Queda in Afganistan -
they were the ones who did 9/11.
Isn't North Korea much more
dangerous yet I don't see us
responding to a very real danger.
The
days of soundbytes and glorious
words are over. This country must
return to its basic once again.
We do
support our troops - we want them to
come back safely now from Iraq which
was such a horrendous mistake. If
they are to go in harms way then let
us always be sure that war if waged
is truly our last resort and is
truly deserved.
It is
too late for the Jeffrey or the
Casey but it is not too late for
those who still breathe.
We
believe it is abhorrent that he uses
the thousands of souls who lost
their lives 9/11; we feel that it
is horrible that he uses the souls
of those that were killed in this
war to justify more to die in the
future and on a more personal - Jeff
stated that this war should have
never occurred in Iraq - maybe in
Afghanistan but not in Iraq.
Then
when this administration submitted
their budget proposal for a 5%
increase in the VA budget with the
recommendation of cuts in services
and increase of co-pays, we then
realized that this administration
truly did not support the troops ...
only the war.
This
administration created a situation
of which they have lost control and
now for the wrong reasons he wants
to invest more of our people.
For
us this "issue" is not a matter of
spin or politics. When a family has
lost a love one, you pray to find
some reason but, given this
situation, there was no reason. Both
Jeff and his family loved the
country and its people but speaking
only for myself I have lost faith in
my government.
I
listened to Senator McCain speaking
about if he had a child going to war
and I can only say despite my
respect for him, I have now lost
faith in him also.
I
would ask many of the commentators
who gave their opinion on tonight's
show, whether they themselves have
loved ones over on the frontlines.
