In a few short months many of us would join the fight for embattled Fallujah, and our instructors at the Marine Corps School of Infantry - most of whom were sergeants freshly returned from Iraq or Afghanistan themselves - intended to harden us accordingly. Whenever I remember those grueling months, I think of Daniel, a reserved, tough 19-year-old Marine from North Carolina who was my constant companion. Although we hadn't known each other long, we preferred each other's company - a simple enough bond, but nonetheless one that in difficult times and places is invaluable in itself. Lance Cpl. Daniel...