Artist statement D3

People don't realize the realities of war and the fact that soldiers leave things that are very dear to them behind and of the things that their families go through. The image that I created is of a military man giving his daughter a hug. His eyes are filled with tears as he gives his little girl the last hug he will give her in a very long time. "I love you daddy" she says between sobs, "I love you too" he responds "be strong for mommy".
My quote is "Straighten those shoulders! How long have you been in the Army?" This is a quote by Bill Mauldin in his comic strip "Stars and Stripes". I think this quote makes you think. The reason being is that some people’s image of the US military is a tough soldier that never cries. But what we don't realize is that they are normal people. They have feelings and they show up in situations like when they are leaving the people they love the most: mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and even best friends.
There is much evidence of this, for example, many soldiers were very excited to come home to see their families especially during Christmas. Many people in the armed forces came back; one of these was Sergeant Jose Jimenez who has a wife and two daughters. Sergeant Jose Jimenez was deployed three times. Each time he has been deployed it has been for a long time period of a long year or more. This is only one example of soldier who left behind something or someone to go serve their country.
Some of the things that the families go through are very painful. Having a father or mother gone can be very hard. They may never know when their soldier will come back or if they will come back at all. Another problem that is very prevalent is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a problem when the soldiers come back they basically freak out and in many instances families are destroyed.
Next time you see someone who is leaving for a foreign land away from home to serve think of the sacrifices they are making. They are not only risking their lives in different places in the world but they are also missing loved ones and are subject to PTSD and other challenges. I think that we should put away the mentality of our soldier being rock solid and tough. Granted, they do their jobs very well but they are still only humans and they also have feelings too.


"Bill Mauldin." Stars and Stripes: Independent U.S. military news from Iraq, Afghanistan and bases worldwide. 21 Jan. 2009 .

"The Neediest Cases - A Family Upended by War Faces a New Reality - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 21 Jan. 2009 .

"Soldiers’ Voices: After 15 Months in Iraq, Home for Christmas - Baghdad Bureau Blog - NYTimes.com." Iraq From the Inside - Baghdad Bureau Blog - NYTimes.com. 21 Jan. 2009 .