Fallujah Surgical

What a day. . . I was over at Fallujah Surgical today, sketching the place, when they brought in a 19 year old PFC. I went to the check-in hut and asked if I could go in and sketch. They gave me permission, and I went into the treatment room. I couldn't take my camera in, but the doctors said they didn't mind if I drew, and I said I didn't have to show details of faces, etc. I spent an hour or so drawing the activities surrounding the treatment of the young Marine-- from assessment, to surgery preparation, to surgery. The drawings shown here, though rough and simple, were done in real time, as the events unfolded. The Marine is from my old reserve regiment from my prior enlistment, the 24th Marines. He was wounded in the right hand, the thumb of which was almost completely severed. Luckily, he was wearing his body armor, as the chest plate stopped the other round which would have severely wounded or killed him. They talked to him as they assessed his wounds, and they showed him pictures of possible reconstruction they could do, or if necessary, prosthetics. He was alert and seemed to be taking it well. The docs took him into the OR and prepped him for surgery. They worked to save his thumb, and last I heard, he had been medevac'd for further surgery. 

I hope they can save his thumb. When I went back in to Fallujah Surgical this afternoon to inquire about the Marine, there were several more Marines getting treated for minor wounds suffered. One was burned slightly on the face and had scratches on parts of his face and arms. I was able to get the sketch done shown here. What a nice batch of kids we are producing in America these days. My generation, as every one before, has talked of the degeneration of our culture -- "Kids today...!" I'm sure we are producing a lot of duds, even some in our military. But by far the vast majority I've seen have acted in that quiet, simple heroism that touches you when you see it. Humans may be sin-scarred and imperfect, but God has allowed for His nature to be seen, ever so slightly, sometimes even through the trauma and roughness of our world -- even in war.