Two guys

One was a career Marine PFC with nearly twenty years in the Corps. He was going back for his second or third tour. He was walking off the ship that took him there when a grenade dropped off a guy's web belt and blew up. The career PFC was now a blind triple amputee. We got a 'Well Done' from the surgeon when we kept him alive.

The second guy was one of the Walking Wounded. They were almost ready to go back to duty but not quite. This guy was a Corporal who got caught up in a friendly fire incident where a napalm canister landed too close to his position. His face was a mass of healed burn scars. He could see and almost talk. I always had to force myself not to stare. We did several skin grafts to his face, built a nose, added new ears but I still wonder how he turned out. These Marines and thousands of other service personnel received wounds that in earlier wars would have killed them.

I have always been proud of my service but also wonder why wars are necessary to fuel the biggest medical advances.