First Two Paragraphs of my story that I hope can be read at Library Workshop?

Dog Tags and Body Bags

Grieving Mother and Brother

Ron Alexander

My beloved Brother CWO Barry K. Alexander came home from Viet Nam in a body bag in 1969. When one comes home in a closed thick rubber body bag, there is always a question of whether the body is really the one with the dog tag attached? Can you be absolutely sure that is the right body? Someone asked me, “why can’t they just open the body bag?” First, these “bodies” have been in the sealed bags awhile so for that reason alone is one not to open it.  The soldiers that have to fill the body bags are under much duress – possibly being shot at. Body parts are mixed up and some have to be left behind, and some being put in wrong bag. Daniel Rodriquez, a decorated combat veteran, whose 2014 acclaimed book Rise, acquired by Sony to be made into a movie, describes his time at filling body bags: “The truth of a combat cleanup is this: Sometimes bodies are not sent home. Sometimes the caskets (body bags in Viet Nam era) that travel halfway around the world, are filled not with bodies but with ‘remains.’ Sometimes they are filled with only with dog tags and uniforms and bags of sand to approximate the weight of a human body.”

I had a photograph, Barry had sent home. He was leaning against the edge of the bay door of his copter looking extremely fatigued and in much despair. I studied the photo more deeply one time and found the copter was full of black body bags. I think my poor dear Brother, the apple of my Mother’s eye, had Traumatic Stress Disorder – not “post” traumatic stress disorder. Recently, I found that the name is “Acute Traumatic Stress Disorder”.

I hope this book is in CC Library? As it is best book I have read on understanding PTSD! And he is going to be playing in Hall of Fame Bowl game tomorrow against all odds!

 First two paragraphs of my story and why it should be told  - contemporary, relevant and helpful to understanding PTSD! Especially with headlines today of the tragic death of Nick Riccio (Nick was  brain-injured 18 year old Marine from Charleston, who miraculously recovered, had 2 children and surprisingly died at home in his sleep last night.