I try to dream about peaceful things, beaches, that is what I cannot understand. Why are they chasing me?

Since coming back from Iraq, there's been so many triumphs and obstacles standing in my way, so whenever I set my mind to something, I definitely just go full blast at it.

The nurses at the hospital tried to soothe me, and they even tried unsuccessfully at one point to return me to Americans.

I don't come from a rich family - it's not like we lived in a cardboard box, but we didn't have a ton of money.

The truth is always more heroic than the hype.

I have repeatedly said, when asked, that if the stories about me helped inspired our troops and rally a nation, then perhaps there was some good.

Certain days I think definitely because we went in there and we got Saddam and that was our mission. On other days, we lost so many lives and so many brothers and sisters...on that aspect, no.