30 <strong>Matt</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Kristin</strong> <strong>Zedwick</strong> reminisce at Clodfelter’s, the Monroe Street, campus-edge tavern where they met. Photo by Dennis Wolverton that part of his life. “I’m doing a lot better in my classes,” he says. “I like accounting. It’s a lot of fun.” Asked if he experiences any residual emotional problems from his time in combat, <strong>Matt</strong> says a person never gets used to having close friends die so quickly <strong>and</strong> violently. “One minute they’re here <strong>and</strong> the next minute they’re gone,” he says. “It’s a void. It was kind of an issue for me to go visit all of their graves, which I haven’t done yet. When I think about it, I think they would want me to be getting on with my life. That’s what I would want for them.” One of his favorite things about military life is the closeness among fellow soldiers, even if some of them did have a lot of fun with the news that Sgt. <strong>Zedwick</strong> had become an action figure. “They call it his doll,” <strong>Kristin</strong> says, smiling. “DESPITE BEING WOUNDED AND UNDER HEAVY SMALL ARMS FIRE FROM THE ENEMY, ZEDWICK SAVED THE LIFE OF HIS SQUAD LEADER WHEN HE PULLED HIM FROM A BURNING VEHICLE AFTER THEY WERE HIT WITH A ROADSIDE BOMB.” — ARMY ACCOUNT OF MATT ZEDWICK’S HEROISM “And I tell ’em, ‘It’s not a doll, it’s an action figure,” he responds. “That stuff, that <strong>and</strong> the medals, I kind of want to get a treasure chest <strong>and</strong> put it in there, <strong>and</strong> then get it out someday <strong>and</strong> show it to my gr<strong>and</strong>kids. You know, like, ‘This was Gr<strong>and</strong>pa.’” If those gr<strong>and</strong>kids do someday ask Gr<strong>and</strong>pa <strong>Matt</strong> how he earned his medals, he’ll have a pretty good story to tell. Here’s one official account of his actions on June 13, 2004, north of Camp Taji, Iraq: “Despite being wounded <strong>and</strong> under heavy small arms fire from the enemy, <strong>Zedwick</strong> saved the life of his squad leader when he pulled him from a burning vehicle after they were hit with a roadside bomb. <strong>Zedwick</strong> then sheltered the wounded soldier with his own body when a second bomb exploded. After carrying the soldier to safety, <strong>Zedwick</strong> returned to the flaming vehicle through the enemy’s assault <strong>and</strong> attempted to retrieve the body of the gunner who was mortally wound- STATER