Scenes from the United States Air Force Academy's 2024 graduation ceremony at Falcon Stadium on Thursday, May 30, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Video courtesy: Skyler Ballard | The Gazette

At West Point's graduation, a young lieutenant, flawless in his uniform and authority, spots a problem: an old man in a shabby, non-regulation uniform standing in a restricted area. He moves to enforce the rules, ready to dismiss the “old-timer,” unaware he's about to confront a living ghost from a secret war. The day was flawless, one of those late May mornings in the Hudson Valley when the world feels newly minted. A high, benevolent sun baked the sprawling emerald of the parade ground at the