Final answer:
The boy in Hemingway's 'In Another Country' has no medals because his service was too short before his injury to earn any. Hemingway's own war experiences deeply inform the story's themes of disillusionment and reconstructed masculinity.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Ernest Hemingway's short story In Another Country, the boy with the black silk handkerchief covering his face does not have any medals because he has not been in service long enough before his injury to earn them. The narrative, which centers on the disillusionment and the reconstruction of masculinity after the horrors of World War I, is steeped in Hemingway's own experiences. Hemingway, known for his spare and poignant prose, often tackled the theme of heroism in contrast with the brutal realities of war. This theme is evident throughout his celebrated works and is a hallmark of his unique contribution to American literature.