He thought about the after the extraction: “You did good, son. You saved a life, but you also brought some trouble with you.” He had brushed that off as a joke, but now it seemed a warning.
He tried to keep the medal hidden. He placed it in a locked drawer, then under a false bottom in a tool chest, then inside a wooden bird he carved for his grandson. Every time he thought it was safe, the crack —now with a faint, brownish stain at its base. The stain looked like rust, though the medal was gold‑plated. medal of honor warfighter crack no origin
He called his sergeant, , a man whose voice could cut through static. “Al, you ever seen a Medal of Honor crack?” He thought about the after the extraction: “You
