Tyler Ziegel

I saw this story on Kottke. Tyler Ziegel was a marine in Iraq, on his second tour, caught in close range to a suicide bomber that killed six of the men with him. Tyler barely survived, but with massive injuries, leaving him completely disfigured. His high school sweetheart, Renee (shown in the photo), and him married, but then a year later divorced. The Times Online (UK) piece is basically an interview/journalism piece about Tyler, a year afterwards. It's incredibly painful to read, but also hopeful and encouraging, mainly because the journalist is so careful to focus on Ty's own strength of character and the love of his friends and family, who are so devoted to him. I was almost crying the whole time, and then couldn't help but cry at this part, though.

“Before he got blown up, we were both shy. We were exactly alike. Now he’s not afraid to go up to someone he doesn’t know and talk to them. He doesn’t hide. Obviously, people look, but he walks straight ahead.”

There has only been one incident where there’s been trouble. A little over a year ago they were leaving a bar and a bunch of local college kids made fun of Ty. There was a fight.

“They made fun of him, called him a freak. You can’t just brush that off. Someone’s got the audacity to do that to someone who served his country, protecting them?” He looks at me, still pained by this, and shakes his head.

The speaker is his best friend from when he was six years old, who also went to Iraq with him. I suspect there was a serious ass whipping on the day in question. God bless Tyler and others like him who pay such high prices for their service for us, who are all so undeserving.