Notes On a Thursday Before Memorial Day (Repost)

excerpt from story from Thursday Before Memorial Day-Last year
The night before, PBS “Newshour” was watched, part of a report wasaired, it was called “The Costs of War in Iraq” and was reported byEconomics correspondent Paul Solman. That report gave pause to thisbeautiful and busy day in New York City that was now saying goodbye.

Part of the story showed returning Army reservist Brad Heun of Tennessee.

The“Newshour” report showed Huen as he struggled to get up out of a chair,obviously in great pain. It also offered a photograph of Heun, at anearlier date, a well built, athletic looking young man, who’d probablyhave fit in with the fit and fast joggers this day in New York.

Heun’s vertebrae was crushed in a 2003 truck accident in Iraq.

He now has fused discs, a steel bar in his back and constant excruciating pain in his hip and leg according to Solman’s report.

“Literally, it feels as if somebody just took a baseball bat and blindsided you across your back” Heun told the “Newshour”.

Inthe report, viewers learn that the army discharged him with only 20percent disability, which means no benefits. Heun does get medical carefrom the VA plus $2,500 a month to support a family of five, but noinsurance for his wife or children. He’s trying to afford a COBRApolicy, but that is too expensive. His 2 year old daughter now needssurgery, but the family has had to put it off, because they simply cannot afford it.