Reality of War

(c) Roger Leo

When we send our children off to war, they enter a world of death. The photo above shows three American soldiers in body bags after they were killed by a bomb Feb. 21, 2005 in Baghdad. A boot, with foot still inside, lies overlooked in the foreground. Blood trails show where two of the soldiers were dragged from the places they fell. This is the first time this photograph has been published. The question of whether to publish photos of dead American soldiers and marines has been much discussed in recent weeks. Too much reality for people who think war is neat, clean and contained? It's none of those things. It is terrible, and should always be the last choice.