The grenade, fired from a Taliban launcher, came in through the passenger side windshield of the Canadian light-utility G-wagon, as near to a bullseye as its shooter could have hoped.

Warrant Officer Richard Nolan, the platoon’s second in command, was killed by it. In the passenger-side backseat, Cpl. Richard Furoy, a medic, was grievously wounded. So was the Afghan interpreter beside him.