Alvin Shell’s winning smile and untouched face offer no clue to the severity of his injuries sustained during an insurgent attack in Baghdad in August 2004. When he is wearing short sleeves or shorts, the scarring from multiple skin grafts to the right side of his body is apparent. Often, he says, it is children who feel most comfortable asking what happened to him. (Photo courtesy of Alvin Shell)

Alvin Shell’s winning smile and untouched face offer no clue to the severity of his injuries sustained during an insurgent attack in Baghdad in August 2004. When he is wearing short sleeves or shorts, the scarring from multiple skin grafts to the right side of his body is apparent. Often, he says, it is children who feel most comfortable asking what happened to him. (Photo courtesy of Alvin Shell)