On a recent flight back home to Boston from D.C., I was just about to put my earphones in and turn on my iTunes for a much-needed nap when I got into conversation with the man sitting next to me.

You know how some airline conversations skip the introductions and you dive right in without even knowing the other person’s name? And then suddenly you’re landing…

The guy in seat B3 served in the Vietnam War and reminded me of Tommy Lee Jones. He’d been a U.S. Marine Corps commander in charge of a lot of soldiers during combat. They were “his boys” and he was fierce about keeping them safe. For two years he lived on two hours of sleep every night, only shutting his eyes at the break of dawn. Even then he said images of combat disturbed his rest. Continue reading →