Nearing the end of a year in Iraq, Army Sgt. Bob Knowles and his closest friends became disillusioned. And not because they thought the war was a mistake; they didn't have time to think about that.

"Guys were away from their wives and their kids, away from their families and home. After 13 months, you're tired," says Knowles, 28, of Pottstown, Pa. "It's not a kind of tired you can sleep off in a couple days. It's long-term exhaustion."

Although they gave each day's mission 100 percent, "We were doing it for each other more than anybody else," he says. "We wanted to keep each other alive, that was the biggest goal. Everything else was details. Everything else was back burner."

On May 4, 2004, he was riding in an M1 Abrams tank that was ambushed. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the top of the tank. Since the hatch was open, Knowles was hit with shrapnel that entered his back and went out his shoulder. His helmet was also blown off.

Knowles left the service in October 2004. He suffers from occasional shoulder pain but otherwise has a normal life. He's now a train conductor for Norfolk Southern.

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