The wounds of war

The ranks of law enforcement are heavily populated with men and women who bore arms for their country, trading the squabbles of the street for faraway battlefields. As many folks enjoy Veterans Day by not showing up to work, here are three remarkable tales of guys who sacrificed tremendously for the rest of us.

First, our own Dennis McCarthy delivers his usual masterful take on veterans' affairs with a visit to Charlie Mykietyn's poker game.

And across town, Steve Lopez writes about Sgt. Major Jesse Acosta, who lost his eyes in Iraq and is now adjusting to a life in darkness.

Finally, take some time and check out a surprising two-part tale by photographer Luis Sinco about Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller, the Marlboro Marine. Sinco took the iconic shot of Miller in Fallouja three years ago. It was a great shot, one of those Flags of our Fathers types that everyone remembers and takes on greater meaning to each viewer. Like most people, I saw it, thought it was great, then moved on, never really wondering who the guy really was.

Luckily, Sinco didn't leave it at that. He kept up with Miller, watched him come home, get married and fall down, damaged by the things he'd seen and done. And he cared. He stepped out of the journalist's normal role of observer and reached out to a man in need. It's a brilliant, painful piece of journalism, amazingly photographed and written. Part one and Part two.