By 1917, many of Sassoon's friends, and his brother, had been killed and he had become very angry about the war. As a result of several acts of bravery, he had been awarded the Military Cross, but he did not see this as a great honour. When he was sent home to recover from a wound, he met people who were opposed to the war, and, after listening to their arguments, he began to believe that the politicians were deliberately making the war last longer than it needed to, instead of taking opportunities to make peace with the Germans. He decided not to return to his regiment at the end of his leave, and, feeling very depressed, he tore the ribbon of his medal off his uniform and threw it in a river. He then wrote a letter to his commanding officer, explaining that he was not coming back because he wanted to protest about the war.