Purple hearts

by Nina Berman

"The soldiers in this book represent a small number of the 7,532 American soldiers who were wounded in action and the estimated 17,000 others injured in combat support during the first eighteen months of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. These combat support or non-hostile injuries are omitted from the Pentagon casualty reports even though many of these soldiers medically evacuated from Iraq because of friendly fire, sickness, accidents and psychological trauma, are permanently damaged and disabled. Iraqi casualties are not counted at all. Nina Berman, New York City, October 1, 2004."