My young nephew who’d enlisted in the Marines and was sent to Afghanistan was injured recently. He lost his legs. Today’s technology is such he may be able to avoid being in a wheelchair and even if not he will go on to live a productive life. Until then though there will be a lot of rehab and a lot of steps to go through. So far he’s been stoic and so strong. After all, his father told me, he is a Marine. But at some point he’ll have to deal with the loss of his legs. They are gone, amputated completely and irrevocably. It’s fashionable for our politicians to invoke supporting our troops. Are they including the thousands of young men and women whose lives like that of my nephew have been altered? We consider ourselves lucky, so many are enduring far more difficult losses and injuries. Yes, he was awarded a Purple Heart, but I wonder though, who will thank my nephew and the thousands of others for their sacrifice? Will the Afghan people? Will the nation manage more than a few words meant for political effect? Will the world? Sadly it may depend on whether or not we can prevail and push back the extremists who wreck so much harm.