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Christian Bagge, an Iraq War veteran, lost both his legs in a roadside bomb attack on his Humvee in 2006. Months after the accident, outfitted with sleek new prosthetic legs, he jogged alongside President Bush for a photo op at the White House. The photograph served many functions, one of them being to revive faith in an American martial idealthat war could be fought without permanent casualties, and that innovative technology could easily repair wars damage. When Bagge was awarded his Purple Heart, however, military officials asked him to wear pants to the ceremony, saying that photos of the event should be soft on the eyes. Defiant, Bagge wore shorts. America has grappled with the questions posed by injured veterans since its founding, and with particular force since the early twentieth century What are the nations obligations to those who fight in its name And when does wars legacy of disability outweigh the nations interests at home and abroad In Paying with Their Bodies, John M.
