In October 2010, 11 wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans — blind, missing limbs, suffering from traumatic brain injury or PTSD — took part in "Soldiers to the Summit," a mission to climb Nepal's 20,000 foot Mt. Lobuche. The organizers hoped that this would help them adjust to civilian life by putting them in a place between life back home and the war zone. But it also helps civilians understand the torments, needs, and courage of those returning from battle. Each vet relates his or her trauma, often depicted in chaotic and shocking videos of the actual events. They are remarkably free of bitterness and self-pity, and though at first guarded they slowly open up to the camera: one woman quietly discloses she was raped by a fellow soldier, and a Marine admits that compared to the rush of combat, civilian life is "boring." Backed by the astounding beauty of the Himalayas, their struggle to reach the peak is healing for them and illuminating for the rest of us.
