Interesting story, and I can certainly see the possiblity of weaponized humans being used as a sort of land mine, given enough advances into bio-tech, though I think custom-engineered lifeforms would be more effective in combat, creating a mind that can react intelligently is a process that took evolution many billions of years to work through.
Anywho, it is assuming to see the guy who treated the vet-rehabber as a person win through over the one to acted as if he were a thing. What Steve said is true; if we treat people as things, thats when real evil starts.
Sadly, I think our species is stuck though; I recall reading an article where it showed our ability to empathise with other humans in a real, "I think of you as a real fellow person", is stuck at around 250, given studies of chimp and monkey brains VS the typical size of their troops, and then comparing their findings to a human brain. Hence, beyond those 250 people who are on our 'friends list', we start thinking of everyone else as a two dimensional cardboard cut out.
Though is does seem crowds are relatively easy to predict, and hence how stadium management works.