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The War Horse
Sewing Under Duress: Dad’s Military Moves Forced Me to Serve Five Tours of Home Economics
My dad parked my mom, brothers, and me in Edmond, Oklahoma, while he flew U-10s in psychological warfare missions out of Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam. We sent letters back and forth and quickly figured out the stories our dad liked best…
A Marine Wonders: When Taps Finally Plays, What Will My Family Remember About My Service?
We stood in a gaggle checking over our dress blues to make sure we looked presentable, typical for Marines waiting for something to begin. Suddenly a car with a lone occupant pulled in and parked, the driver composing herself for a few…
Misadventures on a Nuclear Submarine: A Swollen Knee, a Gush of Water, and a Man Overboard
When you’re serving on a Navy submarine with dozens of torpedoes and nuclear-tipped missiles, the best days are the boring ones. Boring on a submarine is good. Boring means everything is working like it should and everyone is doing what…
What Do Firings of DOD and VA Inspectors General Mean for Military Whistleblowers? Chaos, confusion,…
Three weeks after President Donald Trump’s extraordinary purge of inspectors general across the federal government, a document arrived in Navy Lt. Cmdr. Shannon Bencs’ email inbox.It was the day before Valentine’s Day, but what was detailed…
On Sale for $2: A Soldier’s Act of Heroism, Right Next to Used Books and an Old Toaster
Every Sunday, a swap meet takes over the parking lot of the VanBuren Drive-In movie theater in Riverside, California. During one visit, I had wandered away from my friends, who were combing through old dishes, looking for rare midcentury…
Veterans Won Big With the PACT Act. Now, Civilian Military Contractors Are Starting Their Own…
Shay Dubis got to know the love of her life through a series of FaceTime calls from the other side of the planet.She was just outside of Atlanta, he was in Afghanistan. She would call her future husband, Scott Dubis, on her way to work,…
Fort Moore Was Named After My Parents. A Letter Mom Wrote Shows Why It Shouldn’t Go Back to Benning…
It’s been less than two years since the Army renamed the training base near Columbus, Georgia, in honor of my parents, Lt. Gen. Harold “Hal” and Julie Moore.“Our family is deeply grateful that our parents will be honored, remembered, and…
Homegrown Trips: Desperate for PTSD Relief, Veterans Turn to Each Other for DIY Psychedelic…
This story contains the topic of suicide. If you or anyone you know are having thoughts of suicide, please call 988. Lena Ramsay lives with two aging chihuahuas—Diesel and Daisy—in rural Maine, down a long dirt road overlooking a glassy…
My Brother Was Beyond Loved. If Only He Knew He Was More Than a ‘Man in Uniform’
This story contains the topic of suicide. If you or anyone you know are having thoughts of suicide, please call 988.I knew you when you shined bright like the sun. Your laughter was so contagious we’d laugh so hard our bellies hurt. Your…
Everyone Has Secrets. Mine Are the Wrath and Fury Unleashed By War
There is a reason drill instructors start screaming in your face the moment you arrive at boot camp. Before you can be built up into a proper soldier, you must first be torn down. To be an effective cog in the war-fighting machine, the way…
Play Hard. Get Dirty. Use Good Saop.