The wounds of war
Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia came home from Iraq with the kinds of memories that would give most people nightmares for the rest of their lives. Read the story here.
He has recorded them all in the critically acclaimed book, "House to House, An Epic Memoir of War."
Aside from all of the death he and his fellow soldiers witnessed, Bellavia and his comrades also endured physical health issues and, of all things, the threat from packs of wild dogs in the battle of Fallujah.
The dogs feasted on the corpses of insurgents whose bodies rotted in the streets because there was no one to cart them away during the protracted fighting.
Bellavia says he does not suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder because he has sought help from professionals in the community and talks about his experiences.
He says a psychological wound is just as harmful as a bullet wound and it is necessary to be "hyper-vigilant" in dealing with the potential fallout from serving in combat.
--Lou Michel
