Raymond had served with distinction in the Marines, a long and decorated career, and he kept his service medals in a small wooden display case on the bedroom wall — not out of vanity, he had once told me, but because they reminded him of the men he had served with, some of whom had not come home.

The case was empty.

Every medal was gone.

“Raymond,” I said, “where are your medals?

Your decorations?”

He let out a dry, tired laugh with no humor left in it.