Crossing the River No Name
By Will Mackin, first published in The New Yorker
A Navy SEAL in Afghanistan asks the Virgin Mary for a miracle out on the battlefield.
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Plot Summary
In Khost, Afghanistan, a Navy SEAL patrol is planning to intercept a Taliban group. He is preparing to cross a river with the leader of the group, Hal. However, when they attempt to cross, both he and Hal are pulled underwater; when he surfaces, Hal is nowhere to be found. When he finally breaks free from the river, he sees the Virgin Mary and asks her if he is saved. However, the Virgin Mary tells him he is not saved, because he has already used up his miracle. He then jumps to a memory from when he was a high school football player and his team won a big game even after he made some less-than-favorable life decisions—a truly formative miracle in his mind. Back in Afghanistan, the fighting goes on, and Hal's death is transmitted to higher-ups through their radio. They respond with "Roger."