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26.

But I spent that summer of 2008 not thinking about it.

I didn’t think much about anything, besides the three wounded soldiers who’d been with meon the plane home. I wanted other people to think about them too, and talk about them. Notenough people were thinking and talking about British soldiers coming back from the battlefield.

With every free minute I was trying to work out a way I could change that.

In the meantime, the Palace was keeping me busy. I was sent to America, my first officialworking trip there. (I’d been to Colorado once, white-water rafting, and touring Disney Worldwith Mummy.) JLP was involved in drafting the itinerary¹, and he knew exactly the kinds of thingsI wanted to do. I wanted to visit wounded soldiers, and I wanted to lay a wreath at the site of theWorld Trade Center. And I wanted to meet the families of those who’d died on September 11,2001. He made it all happen.

I remember little else of that trip besides those moments. I look back and read stories of thehullabaloo, everywhere I went, the giddy discussions of my mother, much of it due to her love ofAmerica and her historic visits there, but what I remember most is sitting with wounded soldiers,visiting military gravesites, talking to families swamped in grief.

I held their hands, I nodded and told them: I know. I think we all made each other feel better.

Grief is a thing best shared.

I returned to Britain firmer in my belief that more needed to be done for everyone affected² bythe war on terror. I pushed myself hard—too hard. I was burned out, and didn’t know it, and manymornings I woke feeling weak with fatigue³. But I didn’t see how I could slow down, because somany were asking for help. So many were suffering.

Around this time I learned about a new British organization: Help for Heroes. I loved whatthey were doing, the awareness⁴ they were bringing to the plight⁵ of soldiers. Willy and I reachedout to them. What can we do?

There is something, said the founders⁶, parents of a British soldier. Would you wear ourwristband?

Of course! We wore one at a football game, with Kate, and the effect was electrifying⁷.

Demand for the wristband skyrocketed, donations began rolling in. It was the start of a long,meaningful relationship. More, it was a visceral reminder⁸ of the power of our platform.

Still, I did most of my work behind the scenes. I spent many days at Selly Oak Hospital, andHeadley Court, chatting with soldiers, listening to their stories, trying to give them a moment ofpeace or a laugh. I never alerted the press and only let the Palace do so once, I think. I didn’t wanta reporter within a mile of those encounters, which might look casual on the surface, but were inreality searingly intimate.

You were in Helmand Province too?

Oh, yes.

Lose any guys out there?

Yeah.

Anything I can do?

You’re doing it, mate.

I stood by the bedsides of men and women in a terrible state, and often with their families. Oneyoung lad was wrapped in bandages, head to foot, in an induced coma⁹. His mum and dad werethere, and they told me they’d been keeping a diary about his recovery; they asked me to read it. Idid. Then, with their permission, I wrote something in it for him to read when he woke.

Afterwards, we all hugged, and when we said goodbye it felt like family.

Finally, I went to a physical rehab center for an official engagement and met with one of thesoldiers from the flight home. Ben. He told me how the IED had taken off his left arm and rightleg. Boiling hot day, he said. He was running, heard a blast, then felt himself flying twenty feetinto the air.

He remembered seeing his leg leaving his body.

He told me this with a faint, brave smile.

The day before my visit he’d received his new prosthetic leg. I glanced down. Very sleek,mate. Looks quite strong! We’ll soon see, he said. His rehab regime called for him to go up anddown a climbing wall that day.

I hung around, watched.

He settled into a harness, grabbed a rope, shimmied up the wall. He gave a rousing whoop¹⁰ andcheer at the top, then a wave, then climbed back down.

I was astounded¹¹. I’d never been so proud—to be British, to be a soldier, to be his brother inarms. I told him so. I told him I wanted to buy him a beer for getting to the top of that wall. No,no, a crate¹² of beer.

He laughed. Wouldn’t say no to that, mate!

He said something about wanting to run a marathon.

I said if he ever did, when he did, he’d find me waiting at the finish line.

 

1 itinerary   

n.行程表，旅行路线；旅行计划

参考例句：

• The two sides have agreed on the itinerary of the visit.双方商定了访问日程。
• The next place on our itinerary was Silistra.我们行程的下一站是锡利斯特拉。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

4 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

5 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

6 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

7 electrifying   

v.使电气化( electrify的现在分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The dancers gave an electrifying performance. 舞蹈演员们的表演激动人心。
• The national orchestra gave an electrifying performance of classic music. 国家交响乐团举行了一次古典音乐的震撼性演出。 来自辞典例句

8 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

9 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

10 whoop   

n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息

参考例句：

• He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时，高兴得叫了起来。
• Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。

11 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

12 crate   

vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱

参考例句：

• We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。
• The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。