BONUS: Battle Rattle

Alicia Argelia met Army veteran Matt Lammers when he rolled into the store where she worked. Matt had lost both legs and one arm during a deployment to Iraq. Strangers often approached him to awkwardly thank him for his service or ask him what happened; his physical injuries made him a living reminder of the cost of war. But Alicia was different. She offered friendship without pity, and he was charmed by her from the start.

This episode of NPR's Rough Translation podcast is part of a new season called "Home/Front." In seven episodes, NPR veterans correspondent Quil Lawrence helps decode the cultural and communication gap between those who have served in the military and those who have not.

Listen to Rough Translation on NPR One, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.