should’ve taken all of us.” He paused. “We thought no one else made it out of that convoy.” Camera shutters went crazy. People weren’t looking at a truck driver anymore. Jessica stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time. “Dad…?” I just squeezed her hand. “Told you today was about you, kiddo.”
The general stepped back, squared his shoulders, and turned to the crowd. His voice boomed across the speakers: “Ladies and gentlemen, Second Lieutenant Jessica Carter’s father isn’t just a guest today. Staff Sergeant Thomas Carter, 10th Mountain Division,
earned the Silver Star in Afghanistan before an IED ended his service. He’s the reason 14 soldiers, including myself, are still breathing.” The whole stadium stood. And for the first time in years, my bad knee didn’t hurt at all.
