Insomnia ([info]insomnia) wrote,
@ 2006-01-30 03:28:00
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You may remember this soldier...

A photo of James Blake Miller, taken Nov. 9th, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq.

But here's what you didn't know about him...

"He's quieter now -- easier to anger. He turns to fight at the sound of a backfire, can't look at fireworks without thinking of fire raining down on a city. He has trouble sleeping, and when he does, his fingers twitch on invisible triggers.

The diagnosis: post-traumatic stress disorder."

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[info]jonniehardcore
2006-01-30 04:19 pm UTC (link)
.......*tears rolling down my face*.......

thank you for posting that.

I dont know if you remember.. or even was reading my lj at the time. but i was attached to the Regimental Combat Team 7. More importantly, the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment was with us....

i knew James Miller. though, I knew him more as LCpl Miller. We played football alot. He and all his other buddies. We had no idea that we would be headed to Fallujah in Nov. Hell, we were initially told it wouldnt ever happen.

The entire couple months we had been there, NO sandstorms had barrely through our area. So the night we had to leave and the countries most massive sandstorm in 18months rolled through, we all kinda figured it was a glimps of what was come in Fallujah...8 hours of sandstorm. So bad we couldnt roll out of our base and towards fallujah. the ride was long and boring... after only a few small ambushes, we reached our place outside the city.

NO SHIT. 5 mins of being there, we were hit with what was about 30 mortars. Ill never forget the first few sounds of close range mortar fire. I cannot express the fear running through my body.

anyways, Nov 10th. Ironically, the Marine Corps Birthday. the photo was taken. I remember going into the COC and seeing small prints of the photo. and the Colonel boasting about the pic. He had my buddy, a TOPO Army Soldier blow the photo up and make posters. We posted them in the COC. and he had smaller ones put into the vehicles, as inspiration to continue fighting. It was posted in the tent where we had our Bday celebration.

I saw the photo on Nov 9th...I think... and gasped. I knew Miller. I was only hoping he wasnt dead. I hadnt seen him in 3 days. I heard his unit, 1/8 was hit hard.

It wasnt for a few more weeks that i found out how popular that photo was. and my GOD i never would have imagined the magnitude of it. nor the magnitude of our attach on Fallujah. To this day, I still cant.

Im from Indiana. Miller, Kentucky. Hell we live pretty close. I heard he got out for being a little "shaken".

1/8 got hit the hardest of almost any ground units out there. losing what i would say is....80% of their men.

I only saw him 2 more times the rest the time i was there and we never discussed the city.

Until today, I never knew that when I recieved the support call...it was more than likely him. No ones voice sounds the same when they request things over a net....

sorry Im rambling now. guess I just needed to read that. guess I just needed to vent a little, I never really talk about fallujah.

and even though I havent seen a DR and I havent been Diagnosed...I too have PTSD. I think we all do. but alot of us are too scared to get any help.

thank you again

Jonnie

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[info]insomnia
2006-01-30 05:33 pm UTC (link)
Have you seen John_of_arabia's post? He's working for a non-military organization that helps treat people with PTSD, apparently at either a major discount or for free.

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[info]jonniehardcore
2006-01-30 05:37 pm UTC (link)
Thank you.

I just cant stand the thought of having to deal with a Military DR. they are more biased. I might go see one just so i can have the treatment in my records so when I get out, i can be compensated for my state of being.

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[info]insomnia
2006-01-30 06:20 pm UTC (link)
I do remember that you were there, and was reading your LiveJournal at that time. You seemed pretty apprehensive about going into Fallujah, if I remember, and pretty quiet about what happened afterwards... but I heard a lot about it from other LJers who were there, and it sounded like hell on earth. Watching people you know get horribly maimed or killed, dealing with total fear, and just trying to do your job, which means blowing up, burying, riddling, or otherwise killing everything that threatens you.

I'm glad you posted this. You seem pretty isolated at times, and I was been a bit concerned after your last post. I didn't know what to say to it, though, but I'll think of something.

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