Personal Narrative: The Cost Of War

It’s been three years I’m living in USA and each single day I'm hoping and wishing to turn back to my urban Syria where I born and grew up. Syria is a special place for me because it is full of memories friends and relatives in my entire life I never imagined to immigrate the reason of me to be here is the war in Syria .

If I could go back to any time in the world, I would go back to France in October 1944 on the Western Front. World War Two has always interested me. Being able to see the revolutionary weapons would be incredible. I would also love to take part in such a historic and epic war. War is a horrible event that plays a major part in human development.

She took a quick look around the last turn before the main street that led to the school. She noticed several boys and girls in the alleyways on both sides of the narrow street. It looked as if every class at her school, several young ladies and even her teacher waited for her in ambush. She ducked back before they could see her, hiked up her dress, and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her in the opposite direction of the angry mob. She didn’t stop until she had found the forest path that she needed and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard no one in pursuit. The forest surroundings felt different for some reason and it frightened her. It had a forbidding feel to it this dawn like she had never felt in the past.

Cornered, Terrified, and feeling the despair of the situation creeping in, I was numb. Staring at Drew and trying to grasp the situation, a flash of rage overpowers my anguish as I suddenly have a flashback of Drew welcoming me into the squad with open arms. The warmth of that time would be heaven compared to this agonizing heat and sand blasting into my face. Now though, here he is in my arms, with his pulse slowly fading. I get snapped out of it by gunshots followed by hoarse screams. We were being subdued, I had to think fast. My heart was racing out of my chest, wanting to escape this hell but my eyes scanned the situation. For a split second, everything seemed to be in slow motion and I sensed danger and instinctively ducked. Something grazed my hair, I look up to see a bullet zoom on by. With nowhere to run and location found out, I had to plant my feet and fight.

As the world's top superpower and the country that spends the most on their military, you might not think about the cost of war or conflict, but it has a huge effect on America's economy. “The U.S. war in Iraq has cost $1.7 trillion with an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans, expenses that could grow to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades counting interest” (Trotta). War drains resources from productive use so that the economy has a less productive capacity than it normally would. The impact of this waste of resources becomes larger the longer the war goes on. The Iraq war lasted eight years and still has effects on our economy and veterans. “The budgetary costs of providing disability compensation benefits and medical care to the veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan over the course of their lives will be from $350 - $700 Billion, depending on the length of deployment of US soldiers, the speed with which they claim disability benefits and the growth rate of benefits and health care inflation” (Bilmes). Veteran deserves nothing but the highest respect and deserves every penny they get for medical treatment, but a 6 trillion dollar war and 700 billion in benefits all for one war is costly for the

It was mid-October and in the twenties, because it was October as was I am finishing my route. As I biked the town seemed so beautiful. I like this job because it helps me get away. I had woken up with Abelard screaming about friends lost in the war. Jacob had to come over help him. Jacob was a friend of the family and was also referred as an hyphenated American. The two had been bullied at the start of the Great War long before it came to America.

I sat down at the computer in my house upstairs, the very computer still up there that I still make books on. Orange and red leaves were scattered aimlessly across the green and brown grass. It was right after the school day. Just the beginning of the final year at Fairfield Elementary, and already I was typing a book. What to call it? I had already planned it out while jumping on my trampoline. I typed on Word, size twenty, Calibri: Wolves of War book 1: The Wolf of Greatness.

War has affected millions of people by changing their lives irreversibly through injury, loss and grief. I sought to express the essence of war through art; however, I wanted to concentrate on a certain aspect of the very broad theme facing me. I was first struck with the aspect of innocence as I observed toy soldiers. Toy soldiers are directed towards children of all ages as a form of entertainment and play, even though they are a direct link to armed conflict and tragic wars. The innocent children’s ignorance towards the reality of war and the military gave me the idea of juxtaposing innocence with war. I first studied juxtapositions and dualities when exploring the concept of sculptor and installation artist Anish Kapoor and wanted to introduce them into my own work, but how could I

turning my head again I saw Simon dive to my aid. He did not utter a

If there was anything more terrifying to a shy, introverted, teenage girl than the idea of being a in crowded room full of strangers, it would to be actually in one. Yet, there I was, surrounded by a numerous amount of impatient, jet-black cars that illuminated the dark streets, rows of musicians rehearsing their piece by playing a dissonance of sounds, and the expectant, motley crowd of people lining up on the sidewalk for the veteran’s parade.

And so it was another day in the war. My father was a general and I am one of his thousands of soldiers . We as soldiers use the ancient pyramids to our advantage by using them as shields to block the bombs, bullets and swords coming at us. Once I asked my dad what temple that this one was, he said, “This tomb is where Menes lays to rest, he was 1 mauled by a hippopotamus 2 And also Built a dam around city Memphis, as well as 3 building more than 100 of egypt’s pyramids.

Now that I’ve grown up, thoughts about war has changed. War was always a game, until I felt the true feelings war, filling you up with pain. War changes your life forever.

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The reality of the war is way different from what I expected. When one actually enters the army he comes with a lot of expectations and confidence on himself but when you actually start then you realize that I am really fighting for my country, which makes us feel proud. We see deaths everyday here, of our friends and our loved ones but cant do anything instead get frustrated and wish to go back home to meet our family but the thought of serving our country pulls us back. Sometimes I wonder why can’t this world be in peace? Since my childhood my dream was to be in the army, as I loved action and fights as that was entertainment for me but now I know why we fight not for entertainment but for our country and the injustice. The enthusiasm among

Volunteering for the war was probably the easiest thing I ever did but fighting in it that’s a different story. I thought I would fight for my country and within 1-2 years I’ll be back home but I was navie at the time. It’s my 3rd year here now and I’ve lost some much people I started to lose count, but I learn not to get to emotionally attach to anyone because at some point they do something stupid and die. I’m not trying to say all the deaths were because we were stupid but a handful of them were. As the days go by this war just keeps getting longer and longer this is by far the longest I’ve been without a shower but you get use to it. Shower in a lake if you're lucky to find one and you try and wash all the pain, guilt and blood as you can