On a Flight, a Woman Shamed a Young Soldier — The Next Day, She Saw His Name in the News and Broke Down

me to get them out, and I failed them.”

“You didn’t fail them. The fire—”

“I was too slow.” His voice didn’t rise, but there was steel underneath now. “I’ve gone over it a thousand times in my head. If I’d gone back for them first instead of last, if I’d moved faster, if I’d been stronger, if I’d made different choices in the moment, maybe they’d still continue reading …