Joseph Shearer
Security
From Moundsville,West Virginia
Marine Reserves, Lance Corporal
Infantry Rifleman
Al-Anbar Province, Hit and Haditha, Iraq 2/05-10/05
Words Provided 2010
Written Statement
From Moundsville,West Virginia
Marine Reserves, Lance Corporal
Infantry Rifleman
Al-Anbar Province, Hit and Haditha, Iraq 2/05-10/05
Words Provided 2010
Written Statement
No longer restricted by conscience or laws
So, many enemies I will shatter
My blood is the asking price
It’s because he will do the same for me
So my very life, I will sacrifice
And whomever fails, might end up crazy
Those are just a taste of the effects
Survivor’s guilt with a savior complex
Despite my efforts to prepare myself and be as informed as I could possibly be before I joined the Marine Corps in 2004, I was unprepared for the effect that going to war would have on me. Any of us who have returned home has a story to tell, honestly mine is one that I had kept for myself for years, but with a story of this magnitude, it must be shared. I was trained to be hard, to be able to carry a magnificently difficult burden, we all were. However despite any illusion of invincibility, we have to be open in our relationships, be vulnerable in our communities, because this war is something that has transformed our entire generation. Expression through art of all mediums can convey the pain of losing our friends, of feeling abandoned and left behind, and it has the power to help us heal. No one should wish for war, but we need to recognize and understand what kind of men and women it takes to fight one.
So, many enemies I will shatter
My blood is the asking price
It’s because he will do the same for me
So my very life, I will sacrifice
And whomever fails, might end up crazy
Those are just a taste of the effects
Survivor’s guilt with a savior complex
Despite my efforts to prepare myself and be as informed as I could possibly be before I joined the Marine Corps in 2004, I was unprepared for the effect that going to war would have on me. Any of us who have returned home has a story to tell, honestly mine is one that I had kept for myself for years, but with a story of this magnitude, it must be shared. I was trained to be hard, to be able to carry a magnificently difficult burden, we all were. However despite any illusion of invincibility, we have to be open in our relationships, be vulnerable in our communities, because this war is something that has transformed our entire generation. Expression through art of all mediums can convey the pain of losing our friends, of feeling abandoned and left behind, and it has the power to help us heal. No one should wish for war, but we need to recognize and understand what kind of men and women it takes to fight one.