Heart-Wrenching Photo That Shows The Painful Cost Of War

Understanding the Potential Impact of the Decision to Bomb Iran

Preface

This article, originally posted several years ago, has unfortunately resurfaced in my mind due to recent events in the Middle East.

It serves as a reminder of the ongoing costs of war and the human suffering that often gets overlooked in discussions about military interventions.

The Human Cost of War

In the aftermath of Trump’s decision to bomb Iran, the nation’s attention is focused on the all too real possibility of an escalation to a full-scale war.

With the firehose of misinformation spewing from the Trump administration tearing up the airwaves, it is all too easy to forget the recent cost of our foreign wars.

A 2012 photo of Ashley Edens receiving the remains of her 22-year-old husband, Army Specialist Jason Edens, serves as a heart-wrenching reminder that the costs of war run far deeper than many Americans realize (or want to consider).

Moreover, all too often we forget to consider the cost of war – the tragic loss of human lives and the sorrow it leaves in its wake.

Such was the case of Spc. Edens, 22, who tragically lost his life on April 26, 2012, as a result of injuries he sustained on April 15, 2012, while serving in Laghman Province, Afghanistan, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The heartbreaking photo of Spc. Edens’ wife, Ashley Edens, receiving his remains was posted to Reddit and other social media sites at the time.

A “close friend” of Spc. Edens posted the following response to the photo:

“This is my friend Jason. He died in May while we were in Afghanistan. He was a very close friend of mine, and this was not something I wanted to come across on Reddit when I signed on. […] He was the best guy I ever met, a true friend. I hope you all respect him, even if you disagree with the war.”

Aside from the wellspring of tears I have shed after coming across this photo (and its accompanying story), there is a nagging concern that too many of us have lost our perspective on war and its costs.

Many have allowed the forces that be to politicize war. They debate it and fight about it in gathering places and on social media platforms.

All too often, they forget the costs in terms of human suffering, loss, the anguish of disabled veterans, and the sorrow of the friends and families of those who gave their lives, like Spc. Edens.

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Will We Ever Learn?

To make matters worse, politicians like Trump are incapable, or unwilling, to consider the lessons of history.

Over the past 60 years, U.S. military interventions add up to over 250 separate episodes, ranging from full-scale wars (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan) to smaller incursions (Grenada, Haiti, Panama, Libya).

According to the Congressional Research Service, 251 military interventions occurred in just the period from 1991 to 2022 alone, with the pace of interventions actually accelerating in recent decades.

This means we've launched multiple military operations every year since 1965, often conducting several interventions simultaneously, as evidenced by last Saturday's bombing of Iran while maintaining ongoing operations across multiple regions.

Want to stay informed about the complexities of war and peace? Join my Substack for thoughtful insights and discussions that matter. Together, we can explore the stories behind the headlines and understand the human impact of our leaders’ choices.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones, and remember to get into “good trouble.”
samuel