It’s a joke and a cliché and the truest thing you’ll ever hear from us: “You weren’t there, man.”
When I used to jog
The last time I remember was along mud-sand walls, buff, sizzling tink-tink-tink not too fast, they can’t shoot for sour batshit, I ran, bowing under the weight boots tight, mags full hands sweated onto parkerized dust “C’mon, Joey!” and he laughed that way like a kid, immortally cheerful, fantasy blue-eyed love doll to the Kurds … [more]
Two-Minute Drill
Last fall, I was privileged to teach a writing seminar to wounded warriors of Task Force Phoenix at Fort Lewis, Washington. Part of the classroom curriculum was a two-minute writing exercise requiring use of an image to convey a feeling. No particular venue, theme or genre was prescribed; nevertheless, all but one participant wrote a … [more]
Coat of Many Colors
I had this garment, see: a coat of many colors. A Levis jacket, Chinese-made with American fade, it had almost every unit patch I’ve ever worn sewn onto the back. Peacetime insignia were in full color: Second Infantry Division, my first assignment in Korea; III Corps where I worked personnel security for the corps artillery, … [more]