[ WP ] A soldier collects souveneirs throughout his tour of duty

There was a bag next to the body, untouched by the mess of brains and blood that speckled the young man's shoulders and covered what was left of his face. 
 
 The bag was green, to match his uniform. The soldier's fingers were frozen in a fist around the shoulder strap so that he almost looked like a wax statue in an action pose. The flap that held it closed was open and the contents had escaped onto the grass. 
 
 A wrinkled French flag that had been kept in a ball. A wallet with pictures of strangers. Some bullet casings. A handwritten note that did n't match the name on the body's dogtags. A bottle of wine with a printed French label. A piece of a parachute. 
 
 These were the items a soldier had collected to help him remember the war he did n't live through. 

