This is not a fictional book! The stories that Miguel Reece shares from his interviews with veterans are moving. They are stories that fellow Americans need to hear, but which are often difficult for the veterans or their families to share. Readers are inspired by the patience through suffering that we see in these brave families. Their faith should build ours.
At the time Reece gathered the stories, he was working with the Veterans Administration and specifically with disabled veterans.
As an advocate for the veteran, he has heard their story and had to confront caregivers, families, and the Veterans Administration to get the best attention and assistance for the veteran. It is sad how people will cheerfully take advantage of someone who has served and suffered. And sadder when the people who are in authority are casual about tracking information. Those are personal decisions and may be inspired by frustration with responsible systems who do not communicate. In multiple stories, the veterans and caregivers were required to track documentation on their own for more than one service, along with taking care of the tough day to day pain of disability. The way they were treated was an added discouraging burden.
A thread of the story comes over more than once — when we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we keep track of veterans’ paper work. To hope that all who work within the Veterans Administration held the mission and compassionate views of Miguel Reece is probably asking too much. But, it would be more honorable to America if there were more who held this philosophy.
I highly recommend this book. It is about WAR and could be considered graphic in description of experiences. There are some veterans whose experiences do not leave them politically correct or forgiving. Readers will have to respect that each is one man’s story — truly his story and honor that story. It is wrong to second guess the experiences of these Veterans. They have been as brave as they were called to be and I will honor them.
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