Heroes Don't Come Home Page #5

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It was us, versus them!

We just, we just wanted

to stay alive, man.

There's no time to think

about anything else.

- So you save people?

You're a hero?

- No.

Heroes don't come home.

- Man, I should've

been there with you,

and for that, I'm sorry.

That is my greatest regret.

If I could have

that moment back,

I would do it so differently.

But I don't regret not getting

pulled into that bullshit.

- And you think I do?

- You should!

- You are f***ing

something else.

- What did you expect?

That I was gonna worship you

and thank you for your service?

- I never asked for that.

- Huh, does that piss you off?

That I don't shake your hand,

and thank you for

everything you sacrificed?

- You got the freedom to say

whatever the f*** you want!

- Cut the canned bullshit, man!

I know you!

- You don't know me.

- I know it pisses you off!

I can see it in your eyes.

I'm an ungrateful f***.

Sorry if I didn't want to get

dragged into that bullshit.

- Why don't you tell

my dead friends that?

- You volunteered!

You signed your name

down on a piece of paper!

At what point do you become

a willing participant

in something that

you know is wrong?

- By the time I re-upped,

do you really think

I gave a sh*t about

why we were there?

I wanted to make sure

that the 17 year old kid

with a 90 IQ, the guy who joined

because he wanted to

protect his country

got to come back home

to his mom and dad.

And if I didn't go,

somewhat who wasn't

as good as me, would've.

- That doesn't

justify this killing!

- Do you realize how f***ing

ridiculous that sounds!

Soldiers go where

you ask us to go!

We are a tool, a concept

you refuse to understand!

- I understand it!

Do you?

Or do you just like

refuse to process...

- awful easy to say

coming from the safety

of your suburban

home, where people

aren't killing your friends!

- It's not that simple!

You put yourself

in the situation

where you had to kill somebody

for something you

didn't even believe in!

I couldn't do that!

Yeah, I would have trouble

sleeping at night, too.

- You done?

Enough Ben!

I don't want to hurt you!

- F***er.

I'll f***ing kill you.

- You're a scrappy mother

f***er, aren't you?

- I was fighting for my life.

- When I was over there

I kept turning on the news

expecting to see

people protesting

trying to bring

us home, you know?

You know what I saw?

Survivor, f***ing Kardashians.

Did you once try

to bring me home?

Man, I can't sleep at night,

and I probably

never really will.

While the rest of

the country curls up

in their Egyptian cotton sheets,

and their cozy,

gas-heated homes.

And they get to dream

about f***ing sugarplums.

The price of our way

of life is not shared.

I know I'm not a hero.

No sane person comes back

from that f***ed-up nightmare

proud of everything they did.

All I could do was one thing,

and that's keep my guys alive.

And I did.

- So what now?

Oh f***.

- Still feels like it's there.

IUD got us in a hum-v.

It was f***ing.

Worst part is, I swear I have

a huge blister on my big toe!

But when I looked down, nothing.

No foot, no shin!

My whole god damn leg is gone!

I had the coolest f***ing

tattoo on my calf.

400 bucks f***ing wasted.

That sh*t pissed me off.

- So, so go to colleges.

I mean tell your story.

Call out the hypocrites.

- Come on, Benson.

A room full of teenagers

and listen to them

talk about sh*t they

know nothing about?

No thanks.

These kids were four

when 9/11 happened.

It's about as meaningful as

saying Pearl harbor, to them.

- If you're not gonna

tell them, then who will?

- I'm the enemy, man.

I'm the machine.

They'll never hear me even

if I did say something.

But you know what

I would tell them?

That it's criminal.

That hero sh*t.

When a life gets snuffed

out like it's nothing.

Imagine growing up so poor

where your only chance

for a better life

requires you to gamble with it.

And for what?

Free college tuition, or

to protect their country?

Which one is it?

That is what's f***ing criminal.

They don't want

to be heroes, man.

They just want a chance.

They want adventure.

Wars destroy lives.

It shreds friendships.

It's not cool, it's not bad-ass,

there's no fast

cars, no hot chicks.

And all the heroes f***ing die.

But you know what

I wonder the most?

Is who I would've been.

You feel good about yourself?

You beat up a cripple.

A god damn amputee!

- Hey, you remember that time

we drove up here with your dad?

- In the back of the pick-up?

- Dude, those puddles were huge!

- Downright dangerous.

We could've been killed

before our balls dropped.

- Yeah, I'm surprised

they did that.

- You know, you

weren't the only one.

We were all very concerned about

those lopsided little guys.

Whatever came of the left one?

- Oh, it's still crooked,

and way higher

than the other one.

- Can you still pull

it up inside your body?

- Hell yeah, man!

Oh, f***.

- Jesus, what

happened to your face?

What's wrong with my face?

No seriously, what's

wrong with my face?

- It looks better than before.

Does anybody even pick

up hitchhikers anymore?

- Rapists and

murderers, I think.

- Perfect.

Just in case.

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