The wall is a surreal experience.

I haven't been able to bring myself to view the OEF/OIF monuments yet. My childhood friend William Lacey was the first US Army casualty in AFG in 2014. We always talked about our plans when we were kids, and we both agreed we would have kids at some point in our early 30's then die on a battlefield in our mid/late 30's. He did exactly that. Survivor's guilt is real. My dad knows all about it.