Introduction: The politics of loss -- Go public : the construction of loss -- For us the war still goes on : the limits of homecoming -- As it has in the past : a short history of oblivion -- Fullest possible accounting : the persistence of the past -- The wilderness years : life after death -- Highest national priority : resurrection and retribution -- Not to close the door, but to open it : the ambiguity of recovery -- Conclusion: This thing has consumed American politics for years.