Robert Mancini reports:

I thought I’d had a rough day. There was the late start, the packing problems and the fender bender on the drive to Scranton. I grumbled through the heart of the Poconos, still simmering as I pulled into the hotel parking lot, my head swirling with every mundane beef I could get my thoughts on.

Then I spent my evening with some veterans fresh from unending days in Iraq. There’s nothing like five hours of gut-wrenching tales of loss and heroism to recalibrate your outlook and bring back a bit of perspective. There were stories of comrades lost, of unimaginable pain endured and of the mental scars brought back from battle. It was an important lesson in the power of the human spirit, provided by eight inspiring veterans. Here’s an unassuming woman, clad in a coral-pink cardigan sweater and matching Crocs, who treated 97 people when a suicide bomber attacked a mess hall in Mosul. And here’s a brash, loud spark plug of a man who took mortar fire hours after landing in Baghdad (but before he’d actually picked up his gear). And here’s a slim, small-framed man who lost friend after friend in Iraq and now takes four different medications to quell his combat-fuelled nightmares. There were those who lost limbs and those who worry they might lose their minds. And now that they’re back on American soil, they all continue to fight (this time, for their fellow veterans and themselves).

This week, they’re bringing their fight to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here in Pennsylvania, where the next Democratic primary bout will take place, these vets will get the chance to bring their issues, questions and thoughts directly to the candidates. We’ll introduce them to you throughout the week, and then we’ll bring it all to you Thursday at 6 p.m. It should be really special. I’ve been here for 12 years, meeting rappers, rockers, movie stars and, yes, presidential candidates, but these eight young veterans are the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. I hope you tune in and see for yourself.