Steve Bannon, Brian Kolfage and the American Dream — Part 1

This is the first installment of a two-part story: the Brian Kolfage story. It is a story of service, of tragedy and triumph, of seduction and betrayal. It was played out on the barren sands of Iraq, along the Texas border and in the West Wing of the White House. Ultimately, it is the story of our nation and its values, of pursuing the American dream … and of going too far.

Brian Kolfage and I have some things in common. We were both born in the heartland of America, he in Michigan and I in Illinois. We both moved to Hawai’i when we were relatively young; he was in junior high and I was in college. We both joined the Air Force after graduating from high school, and we were both assigned to a war zone (Iraq for him, Vietnam for me). And once we left military service, we both became active in political causes — I on the left while he veered to the right.

But that is where the similarities come to an end. Stationed in Kuwait, Kolfage volunteered for a mission in Balad, Iraq. In September, 2004, Kolfage left his quarters to get some water. An incoming rocket exploded as it struck the ground a yard away, severely injuring him. His life was saved, but at considerable cost: he became a triple amputee, losing both legs and his right hand. For many, he also became a war hero.