Close behind Cantrell comes Staff Sergeant Jim, driving that glorious — David Bellavia

"I found that in the worst part of humanity, theres like this... its just like Gods grace just shows up. You actually feel the presence of God in the worst situation possible. And not just Americans, but the enemy. The enemy is doing beautiful things for each other because theyre in it together. It doesnt make me want to stop shooting, but it makes me respect the hell out of them, and it changes my life forever, too. Because were not fighting storm troopers, and were not fighting a bunch of yahoos. Were fighting people that are into their cause, believe in their cause, and will die for their cause."

"We have business on the battlefield, but when thats over, you look back and say, "I hope every person in our country can see a stranger as important as themselves." If youre willing to do things for them, I just think thats the meaning of life. Im not going to get thanked, youre not going to know my name, youre not going to pay me, and I will still do it. The closest thing Ive ever seen to God is when you see people sacrifice knowingly without any concern for themselves."

"I never really thought about legacy when I was in a fight. A legacy is what old men think about when theyre dying. But now I realize how important that legacy is."

"My greatest regret has always been leaving the service I so dearly loved. I tried to make it work at home, but but the pull of the battlefield was too strong. Out there, I had meaning and purpose. You live on the raged edge of danger that forces you to confront your own mortality. Every breath becomes euphoric. You exist in a different emotional framework. In rural western New York, lifes color was drained away by a million little nicks. You stress over bills and taxes, a car thats become unreliable. The house needs siding, the floors in the kitchen need to be redone. All the logistical headaches of modern life take center stage and start to define your life. Out there, on the battlefield, none of that shit matters. None of it. The complexities vanish, and everything boils down to this: can you measure up? When you do, you feel like a rock star. Nothing- no drug in the world- can compare to that moment of self-discovery. For me, self-discovery in combat convinced me the essence of life distills down to one thing: proving to yourself why you are needed in the fight."

"Today is my birthday. Im twenty-nine. Its November 10, 2004. Im a staff sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, stationed in Fallujah, Iraq. Im near the end of a thirty-six-month "all others" tour away from my family, currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Fallujah had been abandoned for six months when we arrived in the late fall of 2004. During that time, four thousand to six thousand enemy insurgents have entrenched, preparing their defenses for our arrival. Bodies are all over the street, festering bacteria. Within a matter of days of our arrival, weve all suffered strep throat, fevers, and diarrhea. Its horrible. We engage in close-quarters combat, within a deadly two-foot radius. The enemy is a mix of highly skilled professionals and amateurs who fight with passion. We never know what were going to encounter. Im not bothered by fear. Im fueled by it."

"I believe that peer pressure is an incredible thing. We always seem to talk about it in negative ways. But sometimes peer pressure gets you through difficult times because its impossible to take a step backward when everyone else is moving forward. The easiest job in the world is to lead. The most difficult job is to follow. You have to trust that guy out in front. You have to trust their guidance and do what it takes to not be the weakest link in the chain."