Purple Heart Final Blog

After finishing the book I noticed many small connections that occurred earlier in the book that ended up playing a large role at the end of the book. One moral that I learned was the every move one makes does not go unnoticed, which builds and shows ones character when it really matters. Throughout the book McCormick uses great detail when describing members of Matt's platoon, which allowed me to get a sense of the different characters, and what role they portrayed in the group. In every platoon each man is accountable for their role because one small mistake can end in death of another soldier, which no man wants on his conscious. In the second to last chapter, Matt's group split up into pairs and patrolled the city. All of the sudden a suicide bomber come up to Wolf asking for a cigarette and blew himself and wolf to shreds, and then other men pooped out of a building and began firing at the other soldiers. Justin who was with Matt when he was injured from the propelled rocked, was shot and began to tell Matt that he shot Ali because he was a spotter for the Iraqi snipers. Matt was relieved and in disbelief because he was friends with Ali and he was just a little boy. Justin portrays himself as a tough guy, and when the the gun fire began, Figueroa said Justin took off running for cover and did not know what to do because he was so scared. Shooting Ali, " Had shaken them up so much that they'd nearly stopped being soldiers. But when it had mattered most, Justin still had his back and her had Justin's" (Pg 192). Justin had been so afraid of death that he forgot his purpose as a soldier, which put his whole group at risk. I can not imagine what it is like having to kill a person or be shot at, and yet these soldiers are being shot at, and risking their lives every day for the American people. I was able to see a transformation in Justin's and Matt's character that showed me what it would be like if a certain part of me was ripped out. Out on the battle field soldiers have to put up masks while on guard, because they are there to do their job, and if side tracked the situation may end in a fatality. Out on the battle field rules change, and there is not always honesty. a soldier may change the story in order to make themselves look right, when in fact they have committed a crime. But these crimes should not be looked into because these are crimes being done in order our country, so who cares about the enemy right? At the end of the book I saw another transformation in Matt, where he went from hating the Iraqi people for killing his friends, but he was able to see the good within some of the people, which gave him so closure to all that previously had happened to him. From the moment these soldiers stepped foot onto Iraqi soil they were traumatized and they will always be that way for the rest of their lives. These soldiers knew the transformation that was going to occur once they where out on the battle field, and they did this so the rest of us Americans do not have to ever experience these horrific events. I am extremely grateful for the soldiers' and all of the people who protect this country. I would like to take the time and thank these brave people for serving our country, because none of us are even able to imagine what these soldiers experienced. Once again thank you to all the protectors of the country and may God be at your back.