On this Veterans Day, let’s pause to remember that for many who have served, the fight never really ends, and today, like those before it, will be spent battling the demons of the past. Their stories are a reminder that every war is a forever war. First, from Bryan Box in The New Republic: Ghosts of War in a Wisconsin Forest. “Sometimes when I’m marking timber, I’ll have a flashback and just stand there, staring off into space for God knows how long. I don’t know if my co-workers have noticed. Historically, our hardwood stands were oak-dominant. The sugar maple only became a major component after loggers slicked the landscape in the 1900s. The last flashback was set off by a noise that reminded me of my friend screaming in agony as he burned alive.”

+ And from Terence Szuplat in NY Mag: An Obama speechwriter reconnects with the wounded soldier who became a national symbol of resilience.. “When some 80 percent of the Members of Congress who were applauding Cory never served in the military; when less than one percent of Americans wear the uniform — how much do any of us really know about the lives of veterans like Cory? How much do we really want to know?”