When AWOL Is the Only Escape -- A Patriot's Story

What turns a patriot like James Circello, who volunteered for military service, into someone critical of the United States occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan? What experiences turn someone willing to fight and die for his country into someone who, in a recent interview, said quietly: "It's disturbing when you see humanity fail."

"I remember the day kids started throwing rocks," James said. Initially, Iraqis did welcome them, served them tea and called them liberators. But gradually, James says they grew hostile. "Not without reason, in my opinion," he says.

Just like everybody else in the country, it's clear James desperately wants his service in the Army to be meaningful. The difference is that, for him, serving meaningfully means changing the nature of the U.S. debate about the war and somehow making amends to the Iraqi people.