Pictures of Wounded Marine with Bride

Denise Sawicki | February 19, 2007
Someone posted these pictures on a message board I read and there was varying feedback. Some people said the woman must have married him out of a sense of duty and pity, others said she must have truly loved him. I'm normally the bitter and cynical sort and not normally one to be moved by heartwarming stories but I think she truly loved him. What do you think?

Obviously it's rather pointless to speculate on what's in someone else's mind but perhaps it could make for an intersting discussion.

Warning, there are rather shocking photographs behing these links.

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More Pictures

Story

EDIT: I just thought it was odd that so many people assumed she didn't really want to marry him. I hope I didn't come across as a big jerk for bringing up the topic.

Erik Bates | February 20, 2007
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Kris Weberg | February 20, 2007
Well, in fairness, it would be a heck of a lot to adjust to. The wedding day tends to be something many people spend a lot of time projecting and then planning; for a lot of people, it's meant to be the fulfillment of the fantasy you've had since (at least) the proposal.

So having that projected idea of what your wedding will be, how it will look, and how it will feel so radically screwed with can take some time to adjust to.

The same goes for that image you have of the guy (or perhaps gal) who went off to war, the image in the photograph and in memory...and how different they are from it now.

She may be flinching a little, but she's still kissing him; she may be having some trouble coming to terms with her fiance's disfigurement, but she's still marrying him.

Anna Gregoline | February 20, 2007
I would be mourning with my guy if that happened to him; we would be working through it together. And of course I would still have married him and would still be with him. I love the person, not the face. I'd be so grateful he was still alive and able to be with me.

Denise Sawicki | February 20, 2007
I tend to agree with Kris that her facial expressions in the pictures don't show the whole story. It would be a bit odd if she was actually *happy* that her fiance was mutilated. Also a wedding can be a surreal time where the expected emotions don't really come through. I know I wound up looking pretty dopey in my own wedding pictures.

I think people who have been especially unlucky in love may be more likely to assume she really wants out of the wedding. (The message board I'm referring to has a high proportion of such people.) I dunno. I know back when I was horribly lonely I always liked to hope that maybe it was because of my appearance rather than some undefinable other thing. So it's threatening to see someone "uglier" who has found a relationship.

I probably should have posed my initial comment differently. Gah. I always regret my "talkative" phases.

Scott Hardie | February 22, 2007
I don't think you look dopey in your wedding photos, Denise. You look nervous and happy, which is how most people look on their day. :-)

Anna Gregoline | February 22, 2007
My mom has a picture of us at our wedding facing the minister - I hate it because I look freaking terrified. She doesn't think so, but I can tell I am scared. It was nervewracking trying to listen with all the emotions going through you.