Anyway, he can say the word "yes". Haltingly, but he can. Hopefully, they won't go right back to having him sputter random syllables.
Panel 2: He's almost smiling!
Panel 3: There's Liz, April, and Elly. Took me a while to locate the speaker, though.
Panel 4: I'm glad they've got a female veteran there. Out of four, including Jim! He always prided himself on hanging on so long.
Panel 5: Oh, jeez. I just have a feeling I don't want to hear it. Let me just stop now, and flash back to a pre-9/11 Veteran's Day strip. Elly bought a poppy for herself, and one for April, who was about eight or so. She pinned it on, but claimed not to understand what she "had" to wear it for, on the grounds that "I'm not even sure I know what a war IS!" Elly replied, "And that is the best reason of all."
Panel 6: Oh brother. Well, I will give her props for not just being restless.
Panel 7-8: Sigh. Well, I wonder too. When I was a bit younger than April, I remember my mom telling me that there will ALWAYS be war. There were wars in Biblical times, she said. There will be wars between humans as long as Earth sustains life, and if we ever make alien contact, even if they come in peace at first, eventually, we will war with them. Vietnam, Iraq 1, Iraq 2, whatever comes next...There will never be an end to war.