A modern-day Ira Hayes

July 9, 2008 @ 12:35AM

A modern-day Ira Hayes

By Carlos Miller -...

Horrified by the 9/11 attacks, Joseph Dwyer enlisted in the army two days later.

The New York native was one of thousands of Americans who enlisted during those traumatic days. One of thousands who would end up getting shipped to Iraq despite the fact that the 9/11 mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was said to be in Afghanistan.

His name would have been virtually unknown had he not been captured in a photograph saving an Iraqi child from the crossfire during a battle in 2003.

(Army Times/ Warren Zinn)

The photo became world famous and so did Dwyer, who was hailed as a hero. A symbol of good in a controversial war.

But like many soldiers, the war had taken its toll on Dwyer. He returned to the United States with a severe case of post-traumatic stress syndrome and struggled with drug abuse, marital breakdown, unemployment and severe psychiatric episodes.

He was in and out of psychiatric care, once being committed after he started firing at imagined attackers inside his home, leading to a three-hour police siege. He had also crashed his car several times after swerving to avoid imagined roadside bombs.

His life began to resemble the life of Ira Hayes, another soldier who was hailed as a hero after being captured in a photo that became world famous. Hayes was further immortalized in the song sung by Johnny Cash, The Ballad of Ira Hayes.

(AP/ Joe Rosenthal)

Ira Hayes died in 1955, 10 years after returning from World War II; his postwar life troubled by depression, alcoholism and run-ins with police. He died in a pool of his own vomit after a night of drinking. He was 32 years old.

Joseph Dwyer died June 28th, three years after returning from the Iraq War; his life troubled by depression, addiction and run-ins with police. He died after inhaling fumes from a computer cleaner aerosol. He was 31 years old.

Government statistics would never dare list these men as war casualties; nor would they dare list as casualties the countless other veterans battling demons long after leaving the battlefield.

But government statistics lie.

Comments

Anonymous

3 years ago

very sad.

Anonymous

3 years ago

Finally, something worthy of discussion.

Oh but let me guess, thus is Bush’s fault?

Anonymous

3 years ago

Here is a question for you, Jorge.

What do you, who place absolutely no value on photography, think of photos like these that capture heroic displays of actions?

Anonymous

3 years ago

I place a lot of value on photography, I own a Nikon D80 with a 15-135 mm lens! I just don’t value taking shots of cops and then purposley pising them off when they confront you.

Hell this is what I have been asking you to put on for the longest. You finally understand that it’s not about Carlos Miller and his little friends anymore, it’s about the bigger picture.

Anonymous

3 years ago

Jorge,

I couldn’t resist writing this story because you’re right, it is about the bigger picture (no pun intended).

It’s about the thousands of shell-shocked veterans returning home from war who are seeing their benefits cut and are unable to survive in a country they fought for.

But it also comes back to my “little” issue about photography and First Amendment rights because these men and women were fighting against tyranny.

So it’s a slap in their faces when we allow police to restrict our First Amendment rights.

Anonymous

3 years ago

The reason they are unable to survive is because all the Carlos Miller’s of the world are sucking up taxpayers dollars by getting arrested and going to trial for some BS. Do you know how much tax money went down the tubes with your little parade?

Oh and lets not talk about all the money wasted on welfare.

So don’t preach that liberal bologna to me and use our veterans as a scapegoat. Your “little” issue about photography is a minute spec of problems in this country.

Abolish welfare, affirmative action, demand long prison sentences for criminals, kill all capital criminals, hold state attorney’s and judges accountable for their mishaps and stop donating money to countries that don’t support us like France. We do these things and you can take all the nice pictures you want without any worries.

Anonymous

3 years ago

Jorge,

My case should have been dropped from the beginning. It was the State that chose to waste taxpayers’ dollars.

All I was doing was fighting for my innocence.

Why should I accept a conviction for a crime I did not commit?

Anonymous

3 years ago

ira hayes was my great uncle. i would not say he was a war hero but he was an honorable man.

Anonymous

3 years ago

Jeremiah,