Ghosts of War Responses

1. The scenes in Iraq with the explosions are very sad and graphic. The author really goes into detail about these things, mentioning how he saw body parts raining down from the sky. Also, the part where he gives MREs and water to the starving children is moving. It changes his as well as our idea of what the war is really about. It wasn't about Saddam Hussein or oil, but about the freedom of the people. This was a major point in the story.

2. The coincidence of the flying bombs is interesting. The timing is just right. When they thought that one would go off, they would hear an explosion, and sometimes several more. When they were outside walking somewhere, the bombs would appear out of nowhere, causing them to run off. The innocence of the student's letters is very interesting. They have no idea who they are writing to, or what the war is even about, but they still write letters showing that they care. Each letter is addressed "Soldier" since they do not know who will be getting it. The candy sent also shows how much they truly care. The author even stated that it was not taken for granted, since they have no candy where they are.

3. The story about the Gulf War child is very shocking. People are watching as this boy is torn away from his only living relative, his mother. The woman who did everything to make sure that they both survived, and who loved her son with all her heart, was ruthlessly murdered right in front of him, who was then taken away to become a soldier. This is very upsetting. This was the main reason why the U.S. was sent in to Iraq in the first place, which was to gain the people's freedom. Toward the end of the book, the silhouette at the side of Ryan's bed which made his night terrors go away was very interesting. He did not know who or what it was, but at the same time, it was able to grant him peace and to make him relax. It made his night terrors go away for good. That was a very intense part of the story. He thought that it was his killer, coming to finish him off, when it made him less apprehensive about all of his worries.