Reflections

General Becker shook my hand, said nice things about me, administered an oath in which I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, then pinned a gold bar on my right collar while Major Phillips, my boss, pinned…

Editor’s Note: This story was published in partnership with San Quentin News and was written during a writing seminar for incarcerated veterans in April hosted by The War Horse at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Tens of…

The difficulty of separation from loved ones in the military is no secret. It’s well documented to the point of cliché in books, stories, and movies.It’s reported that troops in WWII would weep upon hearing the song “I’ll Be Home for…

Editor’s Note: This story was published in partnership with San Quentin News and was written during a writing seminar for incarcerated veterans in April hosted by The War Horse at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Tens of…

Sitting for a portrait can be fun: tilt your head this way and move your shoulder down. Give a hint of a smile, like the Mona Lisa. That’s perfect. Yet being photographed for the Veterans Portrait Project in the Military Women’s Memorial…

I started writing for the U.S. Army as a civilian when I was 21. I worked alongside a veteran editor, a couple of National Guard soldiers, and a few officers. They all warned me against doing two things: joining the military and falling in…

Last week, The War Horse revealed how the Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general estimated that VA has failed to inform up to 87,000 Vietnam War veterans and their survivors that they may now qualify for retroactive…

Editor’s Note: This story was published in partnership with San Quentin News and was written during a writing seminar for incarcerated veterans in April hosted by The War Horse at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Tens of…

I heard a shout, and two men barreled into my office like lions pouncing on a zebra, my sergeant hard on their heels. The big one was six feet-plus, a beefy nightclub bouncer in the gray-green uniform of a West German police officer. His…

Active-duty service members and veterans thinking of harming themselves can get free crisis care. Contact the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255. The Sergeant was living in a car when I met…