Author: Paul Rieckhoff

ISBN: 978 -0- 451- 22121- 6

 

 

In Chasing Ghosts, the author, Paul Rieckhoff, eloquently shares with us his experiences, fears and frustrations while fighting the questionable war in Iraq. Paul was emotionally torn between "fighting the good fight" and as to whether or not the war should be fought at all.  When the weapons of mass destruction are no where to be found, he, like many others, begin to question the whole premise of the war.

 

However, regardless of whether or not Paul agreed with the war itself, as a First Lieutenant Platoon Leader for the National Guard, his job was to help restore law and order and to hopefully aid the Iraqi people in forming a democratic government.

 

Lieutenant Rieckhoff informs us that much of the time the troops were without the certain essentials required to be safe and to do an effective job.  They were basically left to their own devices.  The soldiers found that they couldn't expect the officers from Washington to solve their day to day problems, which often were directly caused by the government officials themselves.  The soldiers were unprepared for urban warfare.

 

The author is very adept at allowing the reader to empathize with their plight.  He tells of love, sacrifices, bravery and heartbreak. Paul shares with us the touching moments and camaraderie, along with the crude, the vulgar and the goriness of war.

 

I was particularly interested in the role the media played. I often wondered how much of what was reported was actually true.  Rieckhoff tells us that reporters were guarded and chaperoned by military officials.  The press only got to see what they were allowed to see.  Consequently reporters had to depend on the Pentagon for their stories.  I thought to myself, how convenient.  What a perfect way to spin a war.  The soldiers were not even allowed to speak with the press unless monitored.

 

Most of the soldiers truly wanted to help the people of Iraq but this was made very difficult due to lack of governmental cooperation.  Paul sums it up pretty well in this quote on page 171.  "My Platoon did things right most of the time.  Even if my president did not.  Sometimes it was easier than others.  It wasn't our choice to come here and wage this war, but we chose how we would be remembered."

 

The Troops would regularly receive promises of going home, only to be disappointed time and again.....when their stay would be lengthened.  Morale was not good and these delays caused divorces and others problems at home.

 

Finally the day came when they were allowed to return to the States.

 

The issue I find most disturbing is the lack of adequate health care followup.  The author was puzzled and upset when he found out that the government didn't even require any sort of health exam for returning soldiers. Paul felt that his Platoon deserved to be examined and have any illnesses or injuries documented. After all , they had been exposed to all manner of death and disease in Iraq. Didn't the government care about the soldiers? Didn't it care as to whether possible contagious disease could be passed on to the population in the United States?

 

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is the perfect example of the lack of concern over the health of those who fought for our country.  I have done a bit of writing on this subject myself.  Appropriate treatment is being denied to our veterans.  Many of those with GWI have been told their suffering is all in their heads.  Consequently, instead of receiving the antibiotics for the mycoplasma many of them carry, they are instead given psychotropic drugs to only cover up the symptoms and which allows the disease to  stealthily progress below the surface.  In the meantime, this pathogenic mycoplasma (mycoplasma fermentens) is being passed on to the families of the veterans and then to the population at large. The blood supply is not even being screened for this microbe.  There may also be other germs involved. The government has reluctantly admitted to chemicals and stress a possible causes of GWI but they continue to avoid the subject of contagious disease.  Many veterans have died from GWI and many others are being left very ill and even homeless. We are not being told about this.

 

Paul Rieckhoff continues to fight for the rights of soldiers and prepares for the fight back home to save America.  I highly recommend this book to those who really care about "Supporting Our Troops". The book is also a wake up call advising us  that we must be alert and aware as to what our government is doing in our name.  Our forefathers repeatedly warned us to question our government, keep it in line and not allow it to grow too large and powerful.  If we ignore this duty as citizens, we will loose what freedoms we have left.