BONUS READ
Photograph by Tyler OxendineSgt First Class Carlos Santos-Silva died the way
he served—right beside his men. This is their story
By Brian MockenhauptThose He
Left Behind
W
HILE HIS MEN
patrolled the farmland
of southern Afghani-
stan, Sgt First Class
Carlos Santos-Silva came home to
his wife, Kristen Santos-Silva, who
had bought a new blue sundress em-
broidered with pink flowers to greet
him at the airport. They’d planned to
celebrate their 12th weddinganniversary in Washington, D.C.,
during his two weeks of leave from the
war zone. They would tour the capital
and visit some of Carlos’s men as they
recovered from injuries at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center. Instead, Kristen
wore her new dress to Dover Air Force
Base and watched six soldiers carry
Carlos off a plane in an aluminium
box draped in the American flag.104 august 2019