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The War Horse
Marines Recognize War Horse Founder as First Enlisted Recipient of Gen. John A. Lejeune Leadership…
On April 6, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation presented War Horse founder Thomas Brennan with the 2023 Gen. John A. Lejeune Award for Exceptional Leadership, making him the first enlisted Marine veteran to earn the recognition.“Your…
For 50 Years, Recruiting a Volunteer Military Was Salesmanship. Now, Few Are Buying.
In the spring of 1977, a letter appeared in Proceedings, the long-running journal of the U.S. Naval Institute.“I am no malcontent,” wrote a junior enlisted Navy man. “I love the Navy and believe in a strong national defense. But, I believe…
Dad Always Seemed Bigger Than Life. But I Had No Idea There Was a Hero in the Next Room.
It felt like a punch in the stomach. For a few seconds, I was breathless, then overcome by anxiety. Finally, a certain calmness took over.The call came around lunchtime on Feb. 5, 2009, a pleasant, sunny day. I worked as a letter carrier…
Combat Always Makes Fast Friends—Uncovering the Story of a Trailblazing Woman War Correspondent
The following is an excerpt from First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent by Lorissa Rinehart. From the beginning of World War II through the early days of Vietnam, photojournalist…
A Life of Service Doesn’t End When You Take Off the Uniform. Now I Forge My Own Path.
I fold my hands over my pregnant belly and shift in search of a comfortable position in an uncomfortable chair. My body feels the stress of the nearly full-term baby, but my brain is blissfully unaware of the full weight of impact the child…
Their Lives Would Never Be the Same. In Some Ways, Neither Would Mine.
I met Lt. Col. Benjamin Palmer when he took command of my first fleet unit in the summer of 2009. Later that year, I attended a Christmas party at his home, a place filled with family photographs and collages from each of his duty stations…
You Cannot Go Back, and It Never Really Gets Better. Sometimes the Truth Is Cruel.
At a point in time some five or so years ago, I found myself at a party early in my first semester of college. It was supposed to be some introductory thing for the people in our dorm to get to know one another, and to this day I still…
Time Does Not Dim the Camaraderie We Shared. Don’t Dwell on the Bad Stuff.
In early 1968 I left school, married, got drafted, and entered the Army. A job as a clerk interested me, but after flunking the typing test during basic training (nice try, but eight words a minute?) I ended up in Infantry Advanced…
Black Veterans Have Always Fought Two Wars, Battling the Enemy Abroad and Prejudice at Home
In the summer of 1946, George Dorsey, a World War II veteran who had served tours in North Africa and the Pacific theater, was easing back into post-war life after five years in the Army. He was working as a sharecropper in Walton County,…
Twenty Minutes – My Chest Fills With Burning Coals. But I Keep Breathing.
One minute.I can breathe. Inhale for four beats, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four, then repeat. In. Hold. Out. Hold.
Our front yard is filled with mourners, all in black. A bead of sweat rolls down the nape of my neck, melting…
Play Hard. Get Dirty. Use Good Saop.