“My mother describes me as 'a real hero . . . just like your grandfather'. But I do not know what to do with this accolade for her son, other than let her have moment, or it helps her back here.” — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“My family says they are proud of me. Of course, I would rather hear this than the contrary, but I cannot say that I am proud of myself, so I find that I cannot 'talk about it'.” — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“By not burning their poppy fields to the ground but instead maintaining a security umbrella that international development agencies could safely work under as… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“You are no longer human, with all those depths and highs and nuances of emotion that define you as a person. There is no… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“I was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“...my ability to trust had been shattered into splinters, its fragmented shards slicing through every darkened recess of my mind, his absolution won my… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“my mind struggled top condense all that had led to me being here. My vocal cords fought to express the memories that leaked out;… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“I feel no emotional connection to these outwardly human gestures. I am not there, because I never left Afghanistan.” — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“My vocal chords fought to contain the memories that leaked out; I felt the weight off it all pressing down on me.” — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“My mother describes me as 'a real hero . . . just like your grandfather'. But I do not know what to do with… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“We were not told how Alexander the Great was the last person in history to successfully 'pacify' what would become Afghanistan, over 2,000 years ago.” — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“But as much as this is a soldier's reason d'etre, it is not often that you hear a soldier explicitly talk about 'killing'. The… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
“My family says they are proud of me. Of course, I would rather hear this than the contrary, but I cannot say that I… — Jake Wood Copy Share Image
