Reading The Pictures: War Is Personal

"War all comes down to these little tiny stories about people's lives that will never be the same."

-- Eugene Richards

Looking back, I'm certain the depiction of trauma and loss suffered by Iraq veterans, as documented by so many fine photographers, will be recognized as playing a critical role in galvanizing the American public against an otherwise fundamentally sanitized war.

At BAGnewsNotes, I've looked at many difficult images over the past few years, including Todd Heisler's essay, "Final Salute"; "Nina Berman's "Marine Wedding" photograph of Ty Ziegel and Renee Kline -- the couple, since divorced; Andrew Lichtenstein's photo of a funeral rehearsal in Modesto; and the haunting image by Barry Gutierrez just last week of Sgt. Ryan John Baum with his daughter, Leia, on his chest.

The photo above was taken by Eugene Richards as part of a series he is developing with The Nation Institute.  Sgt. José Pequeño suffered a devastating brain injury from a grenade tossed into his Humvee in March 2006.

In his mother's arms, I hardly recall a more visceral sensation of the senselessness of the Iraq campaign. Given the angle, Pequeno's brain injury draws an unavoidable analogy between war and the capacity for thought.  Ultimately, there is no rationalizing or comparing one devastating form of injury with another.  In Sgt. Pequeno's case, however, the war has caused him literally to lose his mind.

War Is Personal: Sgt. José Pequeño (thenation.com)
Eugene Richards On "War is Personal" (Photo District News)
Jose Pequeno (Caring Bridge)
A New Home for Chief Pequeno (New Hampshire Public Radio)

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: Eugene Richards)

Follow Michael Shaw on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bagnewsnotes

Comments

[Marnie1]

It would be interesting to hear the Bushies try to justify Sgt. Pequeno's loss.

Perhaps the appropriate memorial for this war will go the next step beyond the stone, cold, black, list of the names of the dead on the Vietnam memorial, and be a gallery of photos such as the one you show here. And not just of wounded and dead Americans. The suffering of innocents and even of the enemy must not be forgotten.

The most famous photo from Vietnam is still the one of a young girl her clothing burned off, running screaming from the church yard where she and other civilians were napalmed by American planes, and the next most famous is the execution of a South Vietnamese who fought for the reunification of his country.

War is about killing and destruction and cruelty. It should never be glorified.

[blaqntelligence]

Mr. Shaw, I don't know whether to say thank you, scream at you, or break down crying....
I have no family or friends in this war. I don't wait, with my heart in my mouth, for news of a loved one.
I just figured out what I feel. Rage. Pure unadulterated rage at this collection of thugs in office who have sent our young men and women to die, suffer horrible injuries, for what?
What did this young man give his life and health for?
Sgt. Baum's baby on his chest....in his casket.....for what?

Words escape me but I must say something......

[tropicartisan]

"Looking back, I'm certain the depiction of trauma and loss suffered by Iraq veterans, as documented by so many fine photographers, will be recognized as playing a critical role in galvanizing the American public against an otherwise fundamentally sanitized war..."

Oh really? I watched Vandenheuvel (Nation) whine on this morning about how the minority of do-gooders in the Senate and House will "rise up (soon!) to smash the evil occupation.... blah blah blah. Buchanan just looked at her and reminded her that its her OWN PARTY preventing change in ANYTHING. What a mess.

When will the photographic depictions play a role? Not anytime soon by Congress or the Senate. They seem to be immune from actual human feelings. Even Obama who went to see them the other day, hid that fact, didn't comment... I don't see anyone even paying attention to be quite honest. And the American people are on too many prescription drugs to even care about gas prices. They're ZOMBIES--Just look at them! What a disgusting mess.

[PhilD]

The photo of the deceased soldier with a picture of his infant child on his chest is absoutely heartbreaking. I'm sorry that I saw it, the image and photo-caption will never leave me.

[PlanetKansas]

VA hospitals still have injured guys like this that have been there since WWII and never left.

Many are like the protagonist from "Johnny Got His Gun" and they will continue to exist, hidden from sight, as long as there is war.

What I find distressing, is the available technology and speed of rescue allows more casualties to be converted to the wounded instead of KIA list.

The KIA list is a political one, and is rarely adjusted to count those who died from their wounds much later than the day it was reported in the news.

[jmpurser]

Visceral. Thank you.

[thisoldbroad]

Since so few Americans are experiencing the personal sacrifice & pain of our military families, these photographs should be on the front page of every newspaper in the country.

It's criminal how so few are carrying the burden for the entire country.

Devastating

[GnitenGoodLk]

I'm crying as I type. This is the type of horrific scene I fear for my own son. These troll bastards on Huffpo and in the White House who dismiss it callously with a "they volunteered" and mock these sacrifices are the worst of American traitors.