Book Review: The Girls Come Marching Home

Say the words soldier or veteran, and countless images come to mind. Children and teens imagine a hero, one who saves lives, and happily returns home as a knight in shining armor. Adults too, carry these images in their minds often forgetting that there is much more to a soldier's return to civilian life than this simplified, idealistic version that exists in our heads. Veterans go through more trauma than most people could ever imagine, they go into war without realizing that the faces of battle don’t have an age limit, and that they are required to kill without feeling. Combat-soldiers see their friends die in front of their eyes every day. A person can’t just unsee that, it sticks with them forever. Many veterans come home with guilt, as every night they see the faces of their deceased …show more content…
The first story leads readers Army Sergeant Stacy Blackburn story. Stacy life was tough from the first breath she took. Her biological mother gave her up for adoption, and the family that she took her in didn’t love her the way a child needs to be loved. Stacy was always looking for a more suitable family than the one she lived with every day. In search of this family she joined the Army. She was deployed to Iraq. Blackburn flourished in the combat- zone. She was able to protect her newfound family, and every mission had a precise point to it. The only time she had hesitated to fire her gun was when a child was at the end of it, consequently she learned war doesn’t have a face. As time went on, their camp was hit with more mortars, and the convoys were hit with more IEDs ( Improvised Explosive Devices) than ever. When offered the chance to return home, she declined. She wanted to stay and protect her friends. Also there were family problems back home, and she didn’t want to come home to face them. This was the first sign of