There’s a sad old theme in warfare: boys and young men rush to war expecting adventure, glory, and honor, and prematurely aged and deeply scarred men return and make a futile effort to warn those boys and young men that war is simply hell. Marine Lance Cpl. Nick Mitchel became a part of this cycle in 2008.

At age 17, Mitchel was every recruiter’s dream. He walked into the recruiting station and declared, “I want to be Marine infantry.” After graduation, he was shipped to boot camp on Parris Island. He wanted to be a tough Marine and do his part to take on America’s enemies.