The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War, by Yochi Dreazen
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The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War, by Yochi Dreazen
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The unforgettable story of a military family that lost two sons—one to suicide and one in combat—and channeled their grief into fighting the armed forces’ suicide epidemic.Major General Mark Graham was a decorated two-star officer whose integrity and patriotism inspired his sons, Jeff and Kevin, to pursue military careers of their own. His wife Carol was a teacher who held the family together while Mark's career took them to bases around the world. When Kevin and Jeff die within nine months of each other—Kevin commits suicide and Jeff is killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq—Mark and Carol are astonished by the drastically different responses their sons’ deaths receive from the Army. While Jeff is lauded as a hero, Kevin’s death is met with silence, evidence of the terrible stigma that surrounds suicide and mental illness in the military. Convinced that their sons died fighting different battles, Mark and Carol commit themselves to transforming the institution that is the cornerstone of their lives.The Invisible Front is the story of how one family tries to set aside their grief and find purpose in almost unimaginable loss. The Grahams work to change how the Army treats those with PTSD and to erase the stigma that prevents suicidal troops from getting the help they need before making the darkest of choices. Their fight offers a window into the military’s institutional shortcomings and its resistance to change – failures that have allowed more than 3,000 troops to take their own lives since 2001. Yochi Dreazen, an award-winning journalist who has covered the military since 2003, has been granted remarkable access to the Graham family and tells their story in the full context of two of America’s longest wars. Dreazen places Mark and Carol’s personal journey, which begins when they fall in love in college and continues through the end of Mark's thirty-four year career in the Army, against the backdrop of the military’s ongoing suicide spike, which shows no signs of slowing. With great sympathy and profound insight, The Invisible Front details America's problematic treatment of the troops who return from war far different than when they'd left and uses the Graham family’s work as a new way of understanding the human cost of war and its lingering effects off the battlefield.
From the Hardcover edition.
The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War, by Yochi Dreazen - Amazon Sales Rank: #331375 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-06
- Released on: 2015-10-06
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.00" h x .80" w x 5.20" l, .81 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 336 pages
The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War, by Yochi Dreazen Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, October 2014: If I were to tell you that this fascinating book chronicles the life of a war hero, you’d likely expect to be reading about a Patton-like figure barking out orders or a “Mark Owen” telling of the capture of Osama Bin Laden. But while Mark Graham was a lifelong soldier who saw more than his share of fighting, it is his actions off the traditional battlefield that make him impressive. (I say “traditional” battlefield, because the way author Yochi Dreazen depicts the complicated, violent life of soldiers pre and post deployment, you get the feeling an American army base is almost as horrific a theater of war—just one that’s more local.) Churchgoing Mark and Carol Graham were a typical lifelong Army couple: they lived on bases and had two sons and one daughter, all of whom were friendly, popular, patriotic kids who roomed together while students at the University of Kentucky; Kevin and Mark were both in ROTC and both planned to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. Kevin never made it: he committed suicide a few weeks after his graduation from officer training school; Jeff was blown to bits soon after his arrival overseas. What surely would have destroyed most families strangely fortified theirs; instead of quitting the army, which Mark briefly considered, he vowed to devote the rest of his career to “fixing” it. Realizing that some troops suffered wounds you could not see, he launched programs to remove the stigma of suicide and to educate leaders about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Along the way he met with extraordinary resistance—from bosses and underlings (some of them women)—for being too “soft”; one particularly disturbing incident involved a fake “Hurt Feelings” questionnaire, devised by soldiers themselves, in which respondents were asked to declare themselves either a “pussy” or a “queer” or “a little bitch” for seeking help. Eventually, some of Graham’s ideas were implemented, but it was a case of too little too late; suicides and PTSD violent incidents continued to increase and eventually, he was forced out of the service. Still, the Grahams persevere, rejecting high paying consultancies in the private sector in favor of giving speeches and seminars around the country so that other families won’t suffer as they have. And if that doesn’t make them heroes, it’s hard to say what would. – Sara Nelson
Review A New York Times Book Review Notable BookAn Amazon Best Book of the YearJ. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award FinalistWinner of the 2015 Christopher Award“Harrowing, a courageous effort…This vital book is a stirring call for action to better aid American soldiers who struggle alone with depression—and civilians who suffer from our most stigmatized disease as well.” –New York Times Book Review“Yochi Dreazen recounts the family’s story with great humanity. The Grahams’ compassion and wisdom as they turned their sorrow into a mission of suicide prevention moved me to tears… [Dreazen] writes wonderfully.” –Washington Post“In his superb new book, The Invisible Front, Yochi Dreazen paints a deeply disturbing portrait of the overstretched United States Army, downsizing in Afghanistan while deploying against the latest threats of the Islamic State and Ebola.” –Washington Times“[An] enthralling and enraging report about the Army’s traditional stigma about mental illness.” —Military Times“A journalistic tale that shines a revealing—and a disturbing—light on the ongoing emotional legacy of America’s two most recent wars.”—Publishers Weekly“What a moving book about a remarkable family’s heartbreak and courage. The Invisible Front blends compassion and hard-nosed reporting to tell an important story in need of all of the visibility it can get.”—David Finkel, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of The Good Soldiers and Thank You For Your Service“This book begins fast and accelerates, telling an astonishing tale of contemporary America. When you read this book, you will likely come away feeling that General Graham and his wife Carol are American heroes—different types than we normally are told about, but true heroes still.” —Thomas E. Ricks, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of Fiasco and The Generals“Yochi Dreazen has always been a first-rate reporter, and now with The Invisible Front he has delivered a compelling narrative which will haunt and inspire you. This is a treasure.” —James Andrew Miller, author of Live From New York“Yochi Dreazen has poignantly crafted one American family’s story that is too sad to be true. Despite the horror of their twin losses, Major General Mark Graham, and his wife Carol have gallantly turned their grief into action. The White House, Congress, Department of Defense, VA, Statehouses, along with your average American family must read this book. The Invisible Front will play a seminal role as we chart moving forward on mental health services for our military, veterans and all Americans.”— John Madigan, Vice President of Public Policy, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention “A compelling story of devoted service to our country and the tragic revelation of military stigma regarding the modern-day suicide crisis. With twenty-two veterans dying by suicide every day, General Mark Graham refused to turn a blind eye and met this challenge head on. He and his wife Carol lost two sons within months of each other, one to suicide and one in combat. Military author Yochi Dreazen documents this family’s journey from tragedy to triumph, and the battle to get the military to address this crisis. A must-read for anyone ready to expose the issue of PTSD and mental illness in the military and throughout our nation told through the lives of 2013 Lifetime Achievement Winners, General Mark and Carol Graham.” — Linda Rosenberg, MSW; President and CEO, National Council for Behavioral Health“Major General Mark Graham took the oath of military service, to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,’ but what he and the Graham family did not know was that they would trudge headlong into battle against another enemy, that of interpersonal anguishsuicide. Turning family tragedy into assistance to countless others, Mark and Carol Graham’s story of anguish, doubt, anger, and perseverance reverberates amongst those who have encountered or struggled with mental anguish. Despite encountering war zones, leading recovery efforts in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the unrecognizable U.S. city of New Orleans, or leading battalions of our nation’s military forces, the Grahams’ toughest battle is still being waged–changing the national dialogue about suicide. This mission, though daunting, is being fought by a true ‘warrior’ and empathic family and it’s a call to arms for all of us.” — Dr. William Schmitz, Jr., President of the American Association of Suicidology“Powerful, moving and a life changer! The Invisible Front by Yochi Dreazen delivers the story of General Mark and Carol Graham who lost both of their sons while in the US Army. Dreazen documents the determination of the Grahams as they wage a personal war against suicide in the military. This is a tale of daily heroism as the Grahams fight to save the lives of the soldiers who have served us.” — Kevin Hines, best-selling author of Cracked…Not Broken, International Speaker & Suicide Prevention Advocate, 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner from the National Council for Behavioral Health“We are all touched by mental illness, tragedy, or grief during our lives, either personally or through our family members or friends. Yet, the tendency is to bear these sorrows as if we are alone. By courageously sharing their story, Major General (Ret) Mark, Carol, and Melanie Graham Quinn invite us to join together in removing pervasive barriers of stigma, guilt, and shame that lead to isolation at the very moments we most need each other’s support.” — Charles Hoge, M.D., Colonel (Ret), U.S. Army, author of Once a Warrior—Always a Warrior: Navigating the Transition from Combat to HomeFrom the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
YOCHI DREAZEN, the managing editor of Foreign Policy, is one of the most respected military journalists in the country. He covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for The Wall Street Journal and has reported from more than 30 countries. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and other publications. The Invisible Front is his first book and was a finalist for the 2014 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. He lives in Washington, DC.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful. Turning family tragedy into a mission By N. B. Kennedy Mark Graham and his wife, Carol, lived an idyllic, if itinerant, life as an Army family. The charmed couple had three children, two boys and a girl. But tragedy struck after the two boys followed their father into the military: within nine months' time, their younger son Kevin killed himself while a college student and ROTC cadet, while older son Jeff was killed while deployed to Iraq.Because of the different nature of their two sons' deaths, it becomes clear to the Grahams how differently -- and shabbily -- the military, and even the public, treats the so-called "cowards" who take their own lives, as opposed to the "heroes" who die in combat. Major General Graham and his wife make it their life's mission to educate the public about the pervasive culture of the military that makes it hard to identify and treat depression and anxiety, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. Not only that, but they aim to change the deeply ingrained culture of the military itself, a rigid one that stigmatizes anyone who struggles with these demons.Author Yochi Dreazen follows the family's story from its beginnings until the present. The family's grief is so deep that even today, while speaking in public, the Grahams will break down in tears. Their daughter, Melanie, describes what it was like as a teen to experience the loss of her brothers -- and to be the one who discovers Kevin. Through the stories of other military members who kill themselves or attempt to, the author paints a damning picture of the military's response to this growing epidemic of hopelessness and despair.In Kevin's case, the military can't be entirely vilified. Mental health issues plagued both sides of the Graham family, predisposing Kevin to bouts of depression. Mental health treatment was available to Kevin and he had made an attempt to get help. After his suicide, the family's religious beliefs had more to do with his treatment than the military. Giving in to family pressure, the Grahams held his funeral at a funeral home rather than a church, because of their belief that suicide is a mortal sin. Nevertheless, his funeral is attended by hundreds of people, including the ROTC cadets. Only one person declines to attend: a ROTC instructor who feels the suicide was an act of weakness. But Kevin's case, if not a straightforward tale of military malfeasance, is only one of thousands of military suicides, and Mr. Dreazen amply demonstrates the military's callous attitude toward those who struggle, and its inadequate medical and psychological resources. With the activism of the Grahams and others like them, perhaps this state of affairs will change.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful. The lost army By wogan The army has not changed in many ways from the days of the brown boot army that my father served in to the days of the black boot army that I served in. These days of the camo boots still have many of the same problems, despite the army's feeble attempts to address them. Yochi Dreazen does a good job in summarizing and presenting examples of those who have suffered in recent years from the policy that you cannot show weakness and most of all you cannot give into your emotions and depression. If you do, it means you are not a fit, top notch soldier and are weak.There have always been forms of PTSD, but under different names. My father, nor I would have never thought of saying anything to a doctor or a chaplain or an officer about our fears or any other emotion and feeling. Again Yochi Dreazen explores that problem, especially in relation to the suicide rate. The statistics today are horrifying and are given in this book. At many times more men are killed by their own hand, than that of the enemy.`The Invisible Front' focuses on Major General Graham and his wife Carol. Their families did have a history of depression and the signs that were there before their son committed suicide are discussed and why they were overlooked. Kevin was taking Prozac and knew he would be kicked out of ROTC and not allowed in the army - he hung himself. Their other son, Jeff was killed by an IED. From that point on the Grahams committed their lives to help those who were suffering, including the families of those whose relatives had committed suicide. The military and the community's reaction is explained for many of those who died. General Graham embarks on a program to change the army's view and policies, some of which has been adopted.The harsh policies that have been and in many instances are still in force are very bluntly and accurately described with a mention of the breakdown of disciple and events during Vietnam. All of this will be a revelation to those who have not experienced or had contact with the military. News reports do not do this problem justice.This is a sad and maddening tale. It is a hard story to read. It is a fact and the author is able to present it in full - that a death in combat is felt to be more worthy than one where the soldier has killed himself. The ruined lives and sorrows are portrayed in these pages- from the Graham's personal loss to the many instances of soldiers adrift in depression and hopelessness.The beginning of a change of policy is depicted, but what is really accomplished in this writing is an illustration of the mindset of the military and its cost to those who serve. Readers who wish to explore this and learn of this growing problem will do well to read this book.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. a report we all must read By Love Thy Enemy Clearly written by an awarded journalist in this military and Foreign Policy field, with a writing style which avoids fancy terms and sticks to monosyllables and thus brings out the full meaning of its content, a content we are denied otherwise. Nothing is hidden here about the full toll of our highly effective military death machine which consumes even its own.A two star officer loses two sons to war. One death comes from a landmine unnoticed by the advance team but heroically limited in a self-giving manner. The other death is considered self-inflicted but from the description might actually be better determined an open verdict. The two star officer turns his resolute powers in dedication to his sons and working against all odds for a betterment of the treatment of our vets, etc.This is the untold story of our wars since 9/11, the rapid upswing of suicide in the military to such a point that now more soldiers lose their lives at their own hands than at enemy hands.If you have but a few pages to browse, start at the break in page 179 and read slowly to the end of Chapter Thirteen seven pages later.Nevertheless, this entire well researched and clearly reported account of the hidden side of war must receive reading by every military personnel, by every American, and we must reach out to assist those who serve to survive their service in every way.
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