My husband used to surf with four young men who, if I am remembering correctly, were National Guard reservists. They were sent to Iraq and survived and were not supposed to have to go back, however they were sent again. Three of the four were killed last year and the fourth was wounded. My husband saw him the other day and didn't recognize him. He lives in his car. He can't surf anymore. His injuries left one of his legs so messed up he can barely walk. The worst part, however, is that he's now mentally completely gone. He's so messed up that he doesn't have the presence of mind to know how to get help. This young man is in very bad shape and I doubt that he will ever be OK again.
My husband is an ex marine, combat veteran. He lives with a lot of pain every day as a result of his injuries from Vietnam. He gets zero from the VA. They like to lose records, so they don't have to pay anything. My husband saved a lot of lives and earned a bronze star and a silver star and a purple heart. He lost a lot of friends and still has nightmares sometimes after all these years. He would do whatever it takes to keep his son from going to Iraq. It's not like in the John Wayne movies. There is nothing glorious about war.
Your son wants to go to Iraq, but I don't think he knows what the reality of war is like. My husband can tell you about stomach wounds with intestines spilling out and that no amount of morphine can help with and dying men asking for their mothers. He witnessed many young men dying and it wasn't unusual for them to cry out for their mothers. My husband can tell you about arms being shot off and about the soldier next to him getting shot in the head and his brain matter splattered all over my husband. He can tell you story after story of horrific things that he experienced in only 13 months time. He was injured about 30 days before he was to be sent home. His helicopter was hit with an RPG. My husband and the pilot survived. Everyone else was killed.
Like Vietnam, the Iraq war is senseless. It's only purpose is to make rich men richer. But, whatever you believe, the reality of war is very different from the idealistic notions of a young man who has no idea of the horrors that await him.
If I were his mother, I would do everything in my power and more, to keep him from going to war.