The Story

A Marine Lieutenant on the realities and guilt of waging war.

On the day when voters are choosing a new leader, this is one story that's certain to inspire. Army Capt. Ivan Castro was on a rooftop in Iraq trying to secure a safer position for his unit when he was attacked by mortar rounds. Two soldiers under his command died in that attack, and Ivan sustained life-threatening injuries. After months of rehab and dozens of surgeries, Ivan was finally able to get out of bed and start walking on his own. But he had one injury that could not be fixed: Ivan lost his sight. But blindness has not stopped Ivan Castro from achieving his goals. He talks with Dick Gordon about how he made the decision to continue serving the nation as an officer in the Army's Special Forces. and, another in our series of stories about when politics became personal to our listeners.

Dr. Kasereka "Jo" Lusi performs operations on war victims in some of the hardest-hit areas of the Congo, often under the crudest of conditions. More than once, he's had to literally run for his life, as he's now become a target for guerillas. Also on the show: a woman's adventure following the scent of a stranger's perfume.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most violent and densely populated areas in the world - and half its population is under 16. For years now, psychiatrist and human rights activist Dr. Eyad Sarraj has dealt with the scarring impact that constant fighting with Israel has had on kids. But the recent fighting between Hamas and Fatah has been much harder for him to explain, both to children, and at times to himself. Also on the show: a woman carries all her non-recyclable trash with her at all times for a period of two weeks.