“When there are functions like this particular memorial service, take the time and just sit through it. It’s not terribly fun, but it’s terribly important if you want to get closer to the world. There are kids dying to go to University of Tikrit in Iraq, but just can’t. Luckily, all 150 of our guys came back together. But when I came home, I realized I had been gone long … too long. … You can’t shoot howitzers in the civilian world — it’s just not a very transferable skill.”
