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Reminders of war, in 60 seconds or less

While U.S. troops are honored at ballgames and in beer commercials, many veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan sense the disconnect Americans feel after almost a decade of fighting.

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Sgt. Anthony Verra, 31, enters Nationals Park in Washington. Verra was part of a group of wounded troops from Walter Reed Army Medical Center attending the baseball game with their families. He lost both legs and part of his right hip when he stepped on a buried bomb in 2010 in Afghanistan.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Verra, with his wife, Shauna, and their daughter, Scarlett, waves to the crowd at Nationals Park as they appear on the stadium's giant screen. The wounded troops from Walter Reed were honored with a standing ovation in the third inning.

Verra, with his wife, Shauna, and their daughter, Scarlett, waves to the crowd at Nationals Park as they appear on the stadium's giant screen. The wounded troops from Walter Reed were honored with a standing ovation in the third inning.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

The Walter Reed contingent receives a standing ovation at Nationals Park. “Thank you, members of the United States military, for your service,” the announcer concluded. The applause lasted for 63 seconds. The troops returned to their seats. The crowd returned to the game.

The Walter Reed contingent receives a standing ovation at Nationals Park. “Thank you, members of the United States military, for your service,” the announcer concluded. The applause lasted for 63 seconds. The troops returned to their seats. The crowd returned to the game.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

The Verras cheer on the Nationals during their game with the Atlanta Braves. “I want to be a baseball player for the Yankees when I grow up,” said 9-year-old Cameron, right. “And then I think I will probably go into the military, because my dad was in the military.” The family is living in Silver Spring while Anthony Verra finishes his rehabilitation.

The Verras cheer on the Nationals during their game with the Atlanta Braves. “I want to be a baseball player for the Yankees when I grow up,” said 9-year-old Cameron, right. “And then I think I will probably go into the military, because my dad was in the military.” The family is living in Silver Spring while Anthony Verra finishes his rehabilitation.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Ryan Stewart, 26, right, was among the wounded troops from Walter Reed attending the game.

Ryan Stewart, 26, right, was among the wounded troops from Walter Reed attending the game.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Army 1st Lt. Mark Wise was injured in October 2009 in Afghanistan's Kandahar province when a fellow soldier stepped on a buried mine. This past fall, after months of surgery and rehabilitation, he started at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Army 1st Lt. Mark Wise was injured in October 2009 in Afghanistan's Kandahar province when a fellow soldier stepped on a buried mine. This past fall, after months of surgery and rehabilitation, he started at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Courtesy of Mark Wise

Wise is carried to a waiting helicopter after he was injured in Afghanistan. When Wise began classes at Georgetown, his left hand, which is missing three fingers, was still in a cast. His face was scarred. He was self-conscious about his wounds. But he found it too hard to tell his story to people who did not know anything about the Army or Afghanistan.

Wise is carried to a waiting helicopter after he was injured in Afghanistan. When Wise began classes at Georgetown, his left hand, which is missing three fingers, was still in a cast. His face was scarred. He was self-conscious about his wounds. But he found it too hard to tell his story to people who did not know anything about the Army or Afghanistan.

Mary F. Calvert / Washington Times

A medic tends to Wise’s injuries. Wise would later share images such as these with his fellow students at Georgetown University.

A medic tends to Wise’s injuries. Wise would later share images such as these with his fellow students at Georgetown University.

Mary F. Calvert / Washington Times

Personnel attend to Wise at the hospital at Kandahar Airfield. “I experience a fair amount of paranoia concerning . . . my visible injuries,” Wise wrote in an e-mail to an Army friend. “And I deal with people who don’t understand the sacrifice made by all service members, particularly those in direct combat roles.”

Personnel attend to Wise at the hospital at Kandahar Airfield. “I experience a fair amount of paranoia concerning . . . my visible injuries,” Wise wrote in an e-mail to an Army friend. “And I deal with people who don’t understand the sacrifice made by all service members, particularly those in direct combat roles.”

Mary F. Calvert / Washington Times

A soldier in Budweiser's 'Coming Home' television commercial waits by the side of the road for the bus that will take him home after a combat tour. The 60-second spot was created by Mike Byrne, a partner with Anomaly, a New York-based ad agency, and is one of the ways that America's largely invisible and unpopular wars surface in popular culture.

A soldier in Budweiser's "Coming Home" television commercial waits by the side of the road for the bus that will take him home after a combat tour. The 60-second spot was created by Mike Byrne, a partner with Anomaly, a New York-based ad agency, and is one of the ways that America's largely invisible and unpopular wars surface in popular culture.

Courtesy of Budweiser

Byrne’s 60-second interpretation of America at war would be seen by tens of millions of people. As he sketched out his Budweiser ad in November, Byrne avoided any direct reference to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Byrne’s 60-second interpretation of America at war would be seen by tens of millions of people. As he sketched out his Budweiser ad in November, Byrne avoided any direct reference to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Courtesy of Budweiser

In Byrne’s commercial, the soldier, who is played by an Army Reservist, is largely ignored on his journey home. The soldier stares pensively out of the airplane window. He splashes water on his face and wipes away what appear to be tears. He listens politely as an elderly woman, seated next to him on a bus, prattles on.

In Byrne’s commercial, the soldier, who is played by an Army Reservist, is largely ignored on his journey home. The soldier stares pensively out of the airplane window. He splashes water on his face and wipes away what appear to be tears. He listens politely as an elderly woman, seated next to him on a bus, prattles on.

Courtesy of Budweiser

Neither Byrne nor Budweiser wanted the ad to be too closely associated with a particular conflict. Byrne’s goal was to evoke an emotional response from a public that he knew was tired of war. His soldier looks vulnerable and exhausted. The ad is supposed to make people cry.

Neither Byrne nor Budweiser wanted the ad to be too closely associated with a particular conflict. Byrne’s goal was to evoke an emotional response from a public that he knew was tired of war. His soldier looks vulnerable and exhausted. The ad is supposed to make people cry.

Courtesy of Budweiser

“If there are 17 beer choices, I might be more inclined to pick Budweiser because it put out a message that I respect and that made me feel something,” Byrne said. The spot performed so well in surveys that Budweiser chose to run it in heavy rotation throughout the NBA Finals. It played over and over, the war in a 60-second burst.

“If there are 17 beer choices, I might be more inclined to pick Budweiser because it put out a message that I respect and that made me feel something,” Byrne said. The spot performed so well in surveys that Budweiser chose to run it in heavy rotation throughout the NBA Finals. It played over and over, the war in a 60-second burst.

Courtesy of Budweiser

Jason DeLand. left, and Mike Byrne pose for a portrait at their ad agency in New York. Five days after President Obama announced his plan to pull 30,000 U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, Byrne had no idea how many troops the United States had in the country and little sense of Obama’s plan to reduce their numbers. He acknowledged that he did not know much about the war. “Even though it is still going on, it doesn’t feel top of mind,” he said of the Afghanistan conflict. “I imagine that coming home right now would be really tough, because people get confused. ‘Where were you? Afghanistan or Iraq? We got the bad guy, so why are we still there?’ There is not a clear-cut enemy or a clear sense of what we are doing. People just can’t get their head around it.”

Jason DeLand. left, and Mike Byrne pose for a portrait at their ad agency in New York. Five days after President Obama announced his plan to pull 30,000 U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, Byrne had no idea how many troops the United States had in the country and little sense of Obama’s plan to reduce their numbers. He acknowledged that he did not know much about the war. “Even though it is still going on, it doesn’t feel top of mind,” he said of the Afghanistan conflict. “I imagine that coming home right now would be really tough, because people get confused. ‘Where were you? Afghanistan or Iraq? We got the bad guy, so why are we still there?’ There is not a clear-cut enemy or a clear sense of what we are doing. People just can’t get their head around it.”

Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post

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