The peaceful silence broken by the swaying branches and warm breeze. The sun gently warms the skin as I look out upon the world. In such a Continue Reading
The Dilemma of the Enemy
Since childhood, I loved the tales of wars past and present. In my adolescence, I was obsessed with the fables of Vietnam beyond any Continue Reading
Bittersweet Reflection
I stand on the precipice of change. I have spent over half a decade pursuing this dream that now feels all but inevitable. As I stand here, its taste Continue Reading
Their Weight and Scars
I feel empty without them. I feel wrong. I feel as if something is missing. The skin where they resided lighter, having blocked the sun for Continue Reading
Teamwork/The Maxim
We each brought to the battlefield our own knowledge, experiences, and equipment. A fair fight was never a fight we sought. The odds should always Continue Reading
They Do Not Want to Understand the Wars We Fight in Their Name
The questions are almost always delivered by the young without guilt. They ask them in classrooms, living rooms, car rides, anywhere and everywhere it Continue Reading
Perceived Distinction or Infamy
When you enter a room, your every action and every word judged not by their realities, but the juxtaposition of the perceived distinction or Continue Reading
The Weight of Silence
Decisions are made with the information at hand, weighing probabilities. To an outsider, and in hindsight, they often seem simple. Yet, even in the Continue Reading
The Wars of Others
The wars of others douse gasoline on the fire hardly controllable. The urge to fight shared in the neurotic texts and conversations with the others. Continue Reading
Warrior’s Guilt
By adolescence, I viewed death as a rapidly approaching inevitability. I viewed my life’s value in its destruction. I sought only an honorable end, Continue Reading
Barracks Life
Flipping through the photos, my mind went back to a different time and place. I could smell the open breezeways of the barracks. I could see every Continue Reading
She Fumbled and Stumbled
She fumbled and stumbled. I watched as the intoxicating liquids took hold, their effects inevitable. I observed the entire process, knowing exactly Continue Reading