March 29, 2003

Heartbreak and Compassion

Two stories show the heartbreak of war, but they also show human compassion.

First, there is the story behind the now-famous picture of a soldier carrying an Iraqi child to safety. An Iraqi family was caught in the crossfire of an ambush on elements of the 7th Cavalry. After the fighting stopped, the Iraqi father screamed for help. Pfc. Joseph P. Dwyer rushed to the family and took the four-year-old boy.

(A subplot in this story is that Pfc. Dwyer enlisted in the army shortly after the September 11 attacks.)

Then there is the awful story of marines accidentally attacking a civilian vehicle near Nasiriyah killing three. The surviving family members forgave the soldiers for the mistake and blamed it on Saddam Huessein. The marines helped bury the dead at a nearby mosque.

"Medic Made Famous in Photo Enlisted after 9-11" [via Brothers Judd]

"On The Scene: Iraqi Forgiveness"