'The Unmaking of a Marine'

"Packing Inferno"

For nearly a decade, both wars have largely been reported by the media and explained to the public by lawmakers in statistical terms; thousands of U.S. soldiers killed in combat, hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis dead, and three-quarters of a million veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.

Until recently, the press has been prohibited from photographing veterans returning from combat in flag-draped coffins, and funerals for the fallen were likewise off-limits.

But by relying heavily on numbers and press releases as a way of covering both conflicts, the public has been rendered incapable of experiencing or feeling any dramatic element associated with the devastation. It’s a sad truth that the average person is unable to accurately say how many U.S. soldiers have been killed and wounded since the wars began (4,257 dead, more than 31,000 wounded, 320,000 diagnosed with brain injuries).

Tyler E. Boudreau's book: "Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine"

Iraq Veterans for Iraq Refugees

I caught this report over at Huffington:


US Vets Return to Middle East to Help Iraqi Refugees

I'm on the first day of a rapid-fire visit to Jordan, the kingdom in the Middle East which has provided a safe haven for an estimated 750,000 refugees from Iraq who have traveled the shorter but more dangerous route to get here.


I'm traveling with a small delegation from the newly founded Iraq Veterans Refugee Aid Association (IVRAA) -- co-founders of the organization, Luis Montalvan, a former US Army captain, and former US Marine captain Tyler Boudreau, plus photographer Paul Park -- on a mission to try to assess the situation faced by Iraqi refugees, and the burden that hosting those refugees has placed on the Hashemite kingdom.


We also hope to work out what, if anything, we can do to help provide relief to either or both.

And when I did a quick google search I found this link Iraq Veterans Refugee Aid Association (IVRAA), which is placed in the quote above also.


Visiting the link you will find it's their fundraising site and more information:

A Personal Message from Physicians for Social Responsibility


The Iraq Veterans' Refugee Aid Association (IVRAA) is a newly established non-profit organization set up by two veterans of the Iraq war, former Marine Capt. Tyler Boudreau and former Army Capt. Luis Carlos Montalván.


IVRAA is sponsored by the Nobel Peace Prize award-winning organization, Physicians for Social Responsibility. Your tax-deductible donations will be routed through them to IVRAA.

Snip


The two founders of IVRAA recently co-authored opinion articles about the Iraqi humanitarian crisis that were published in:



"The International Herald Tribune"



"The Seattle Times" , scroll down just abit to read the LTE.



"The Daily Hampshire Gazette" recently wrote a piece about IVRAA



In These Times wrote a piece about IVRAA




They will author articles and hold media briefings during the trip and afterwards, aimed at boosting awareness of a side of the Iraq war that has long been overlooked, if not ignored: the mass displacement of the Iraqi people which has resulted in their loss of humanity and dignity.



Snip

Your tax-deductible donation will help IVRAA launch this first humanitarian mission, during which Boudreau and Montalván will:


** Assess the situation faced by Iraqi refugees;


**Educate the public as to the urgency of the humanitarian crisis;


**Establish workshops for Iraqis seeking asylum in the United States;


**Render assistance to Ali, an Iraqi refugee who has languished in Jordan for two years after aiding the US military as an interpreter;


**Report the findings of the mission to heighten awareness to develop new relief strategies.


Unlike missions by veterans of wars past, the IVRAA visit will take place as the Iraq war continues.

At their donation site you can Grab a fundraising widget, or grab it right here with this link, to place on your sites to help them out.



This is Tyler Boudreau's - Deeper Than War Blogspot.


Tyler Boudreau's book: Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine (Feral House) will be released in September 2008 and is now available for pre-order.

And this is apparently Their Face Book Page


Meanwhile inside of Iraq:


Squatters in Iraqi buildings fear they'll soon be on the street

Tens of thousands of Iraqis found shelter in government and abandoned public properties after the U.S.-led invasion upended their lives. Now the government has ordered many out of their temporary homes, from Kirkuk in the north to Basra in the south, worsening Iraq's already enormous problem of displaced people.

Please Give


And Visit Scotty's, an Iraq War Vets blogspot: Returning Home From Iraq

As well as one of his posts at another site: Palestinian helps Iraqi refugees

Jordan/U.S.A. - Writing this article from the third person is going to be impossible because of my experience with the subject matter at hand. I am an ex-Marine who was involved in the initial invasion of Iraq. My friend, who chooses not to have her name published, is a U.N. worker helping refugees in Jordan, many of whom are from Iraq. This article is about her experience and mine.

Veterans, doing once again what we've done before, sadly after we participated in the destruction, helping the people who's lives were destroyed, or trying to. But It Is A Great Step Forward, same step that helped alot of 'Nam Vets and the Vietnamesse people, either those going directly back to Vietnam or the brothers supporting them!!