Cedar Rapids Marine veteran reflects on mental toll of Iraq War 20 years later
NOT SAID IF HE WILL RUN FOR REELECTION. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THOUSANDS OF CIVILIAN LIVES…
NOT SAID IF HE WILL RUN FOR REELECTION. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THOUSANDS OF CIVILIAN LIVES AND MORE THAN 4500 U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED. 20 YEARS AGO TODAY, AMERICANS WATCHED PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH’S LATE NIGHT ADDRESS ANNOUNCING THE INVASION OF IRAQ WAS WELL UNDERWAY. THE COSTLY AND CONTROVERSIAL WAR CAME TO AN END IN 2011. BUT FOR MANY IOWA VETERANS, THE FIGHT STILL CONTINUES AT HOME TO THIS DAY. DUSTIN PETERSON RETIRED SIX MONTHS AGO AFTER SERVING 24 YEARS AS A MARINE. CEDAR RAPIDS MAN, SAW TWO TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ, LOSING FRIENDS AND RISKING HIS OWN LIFE. THE MARINE SAYS, LIKE HE’S IN SO MANY OTHER VETERANS, HE’S STILL DEALING WITH THE MENTAL TOLL OF THAT WAR. HE SAYS IT TOOK YEARS TO GET HIM THE MENTAL MENTAL HEALTH THAT HE NEEDED. WHEN I CAME BACK FROM IRAQ THE SECOND TIME, MENTAL HEALTH WAS STILL A HUGE TABOO. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LOSING SECURITY CLEARANCES. PEOPLE WOULD TALK ABOUT NOT HAVING THE RIGHT ASSIGNMENTS, THE RIGHT ASSIGNMENTS THAT WOULD GET YOU PROMOTED. SO WE BOTTLED IT UP. PETERSON NOW WONDERS IF THE WAR WAS WORTH IT. HE SAYS HE’LL ONLY CONSIDER THE WAR IN IRAQ A VICTORY ONCE THAT COUNTRY HAS FULLY ESTABLISHED
‘We bottled it up’: Marine veteran reflects on mental toll of Iraq War 20 years later
Updated: 7:23 PM CDT Mar 20, 2023
The U.S. launched the war against Saddam Hussein in Iraq 20 years ago, on March 20, 2003.A generation of people now in their 40s reflected on a war that ended in 2011 and the impact the war had on their mental health.Sgt. Dustin Peterson retired six months ago after serving 24 years as a U.S. Marine. He completed two tours to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. The experiences of a 22-year-old Marine were still vivid 20 years later, KCRG reports.”We went over there to stop the spread, import, or use of weapons of mass destruction,” said Peterson. “I think, for most of us, there was an internal change and we were really fighting for the people that were being oppressed by Saddam.”Now retired, Peterson said many people were still dealing with the long-term mental health effects of war. He said that included himself.”When I came back from Iraq the second time, mental health was still a huge taboo,” he said. “People talked about losing security clearances, people talked about not having the right assignments to get promoted, so we bottled it up.”Peterson said he was finally getting the treatment he needed after 24 years of service. It was something he said allowed him to talk publicly about his mental health for the first time, and now he wonders if the war was worth it.”The people that died. The Iowans that died, the marines that were next to me that died, we still don’t know if it was a victory,” said Peterson. “A victory or a win in Iraq is once they’re finally, years from now, fully established, fully independent, fully capable of democracy or whatever government they want.”
The U.S. launched the war against Saddam Hussein in Iraq 20 years ago, on March 20, 2003.
A generation of people now in their 40s reflected on a war that ended in 2011 and the impact the war had on their mental health.
Sgt. Dustin Peterson retired six months ago after serving 24 years as a U.S. Marine. He completed two tours to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. The experiences of a 22-year-old Marine were still vivid 20 years later, KCRG reports.
“We went over there to stop the spread, import, or use of weapons of mass destruction,” said Peterson. “I think, for most of us, there was an internal change and we were really fighting for the people that were being oppressed by Saddam.”
Now retired, Peterson said many people were still dealing with the long-term mental health effects of war. He said that included himself.
“When I came back from Iraq the second time, mental health was still a huge taboo,” he said. “People talked about losing security clearances, people talked about not having the right assignments to get promoted, so we bottled it up.”
Peterson said he was finally getting the treatment he needed after 24 years of service. It was something he said allowed him to talk publicly about his mental health for the first time, and now he wonders if the war was worth it.
“The people that died. The Iowans that died, the marines that were next to me that died, we still don’t know if it was a victory,” said Peterson. “A victory or a win in Iraq is once they’re finally, years from now, fully established, fully independent, fully capable of democracy or whatever government they want.”
