by Iris Madelyn
I don't remember their names.
Carpenter, Cross, Shields, Garcia, Polk, Colindres, Rivera, Scott, Davis,
Feliciano, Mawson, Hesser, Bonner, Merola, Stati, Cordova
I don't remember their names.
Messam, Lopez, Graham, Irizarri, Johnson, Jonston, Preston, Stockton,
Rogers, Rogelio, Rigel, Nigel, Victor, Tullock, Travis, Jarvis
I don't remember their names.
Jones, Orozco, Viviero, Smith, Smith, Smith, Smith, Smith.
I don't remember their names.
March 2002, Cave searching mission, Afghanistan.
Operation Anaconda. Killed in Action.
I don't remember their names.
June 2002, ARCENT Headquarters.
Camp Doha, Kuwait. Raped at the latrines at midnight
by four other service members.
I don't remember their names.
August 2003, Pre-deployment training.
Okinawa, Japan. Drug overdose. Dishonorable discharge.
I don't remember their names.
December 2003. Web belt and Temazepam.
Hanging in barracks, Main side. Camp Pendleton California.
Dead on arrival.
I don't remember their names.
But somebody should.
(This poem comes from Warrior Writers, a non-profit organization that teaches and gives space for veterans to write and create art about their experiences. You can donate here.)
