50,000 Americans died in the Vietnam war. Less than 4,000 have died in Iraq.. One of the big reasons for this is that battlefield medicine has improved to where many of the wounds that killed American soldiers in Vietnam can now be survived through the latest surgical techniques.

The full implications of this development can be seen in a profoundly disturbing portrait by Nina Berman, from her recent book, Purple Hearts: Back From Iraq. The picture is a wedding portrait of Renee Kline, 21, and Ty Ziegel, 24. Ty is wearing a Marine dress uniform and Renee a traditional wedding dress.

Ty’s face was melted and skull shattered in Iraq. After 19 surgeries, his skull has been replaced by a plastic dome. The plastic has been covered with grafted skin. He has no nose, and no chin. There are holes where his eyes and ears should be. He cannot show any sort of expression. Renee can, and the expression in this, her wedding portrait, sums up everything I have ever thought about this sick and tragic war.

All Americans should take a long look at this picture, but be forewarned: it is deeply disturbing. Just as disturbing as the war itself.

Marine Wedding portrait

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