Valor
November 5, 2019
By Bridget Floyd Ron Hemenway, or the Sergeant Major as we like to call him, is a dedicated and caring father. He is a devoted husband to my mother with 40 plus years of marriage. He served four times in Iraq post 9/11 as a civil servant even after he had retired from the National … Read More Charlotte’s Pen
November 5, 2019
By Sarah Flores, United States Marine Corps My earliest memory of writing was around the fifth grade when I was supposed to write a fictional short story. I don’t remember writing as much as I remember sitting down with my mother crying from the painfully constipated block of words. Like any mother, she coached me … Read More I Wonder
November 5, 2019
By Andreah Anderson, United States Army I wondered would it ever go away The pain, the nightmares, and all the regrets. Would time do its course and would it become easier to bare Does waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweats come to cease? I wondered would it ever make sense … Read More Shellback
November 5, 2019
By Marilyn Alkire, United States Navy “The sea is eternal and so are the traditions that accompany it. As long as there are imaginary lines by which we travel, we will attach a special significance to crossing over them – a significance which also bonds the crew together in a way few things can.” Unknown … Read More Moving Forward While Looking Back
November 5, 2019
em>Noel Wheeler, United States Navy I always knew I would join the Navy. As a kid I had the usual thoughts of being a doctor, nurse, or veterinarian. As I watched my friends worry about Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) exams and college application essays, I rested easily knowing that the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery … Read More The Lament of Footsteps
November 5, 2019
By Seth Strickland, I sat uncomfortably in the metal folding chair, the room around me filled with the echoes of somber chatter. I wasn’t part of the conversation. I acted more like a fixture in the room, no different from the lifeless furniture, still and silent, apart in my own mind. The table in front … Read More Laughter and Tears
November 5, 2019
By Lisa Stephens, United States Marine Corps Sometime in the early 80’s, a movie called Private Benjamin made its debut. In the movie, Goldie Hahn fell off the bus at a recruit depot wearing a dress and heels. This was typical Lisa behavior, having earned the name “Slip” during spring break at Ft. Lauderdale, where … Read More Through the Gates of Hell
November 5, 2019
Daniel Lowderman, United States Navy It takes a special brand of crazy to do some of the jobs in today’s military . . . most notably, running towards the sound of gunfire as opposed to giving in to the normal human nature of self-preservation. Due to the unnatural aspect of being a United States Navy … Read More Pain is Unavoidable, Suffering is a Choice
November 5, 2019
By Alex Happer, United States Army I was merely 2 weeks into my 17th year of life when I decided to enter the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) at the local Army Career Center in Wake Forest, NC. I was easy for the Recruiting Station Commander in the fact that I already knew I wanted the … Read More Thoughts of a Deployed Soldier
November 5, 2019
Greg Givens, United States Army Here is the highlight of my day: After nap number two, I walk my happy ass down to the phone center and make some phone calls. It’s been a couple of weeks since I called home, so this is a real treat for all parties involved. First on the line … Read More 