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101INT. DINING AREA - MOMENTS LATER

One of Mom's students, JIM, tells a story while the group sits around the table eating.

JIM

...So anyway, we figured out a way

to rig up our iPods to the external

speakers on the ASV. So every time

we come rolling into town, you knew

the 456 was there, 'cause we were

bumping House of Pain. It was like,

"Jump around, Jump around." And the

whole family's coming outside, and

you got the kids and the mom and the

dad, and they're all bouncing up and

down. We're throwing out candies

for the kids, and soccer balls, and

Beanie Babies, and Frisbees... Um,

like, smokes for the adults. And

they loved, they absolutely loved,

Gatorade. But for some reason, you

know, they hated the lemon-lime

flavor. I don't know what it was.

Yeah. Couldn't give it away.

The group laughs.

MOM

How long were you over there?

JIM

Uhh... I did two tours in Iraq and

one in Bosnia.

MOM

Wow.

MASON

Did you enlist?

JIM

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I was, um, Army

National Guard. And, uh, you know

coming straight out of high school.

Needed money for college. Seemed

like a decent paying job. And, uh,

did my tour. And whenever I got

done, I told them if there's, you

know, a world-changing event, I'll

come back. And, uh, 3 months later

9/11 happened. And I was back 9/12.

And I'm proud to say the 456, the

whole time we were there, we never

lost a guy. Not one casualty.