Turning Our Backs on Heroes

By BOB HERBERT
NYT

Arlington, Va.

While growing up just outside of Chicago, Dennet Oregon dreamed of being an artist. He loved to draw. He enrolled in art school after high school, but then came the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He left art school at the age of 19 and joined the Army.

“Sept. 11th was the main reason I joined,” he said, “but there were other underlying reasons as well. I was just poor, and I was tired of being poor. And tuition was kind of high. I called recruiters and we talked about the benefits of the G.I. bill, etc. And I figured, ‘Hey, join the Army and then get out and school would be paid for.’ ”

Mr. Oregon was assigned to the infantry and found that he liked it. He enjoyed the travel, the sense of adventure and the camaraderie with fellow soldiers. He wasn’t crazy about the danger, but, over all, he found the Army agreeable. At the end of four years, he re-enlisted.

“I got hurt March 29, 2005,” he said.

(More here.)