The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

West and Dunn

Memorial Day—Remembering the Fallen

Memorial Day—Remembering the Fallen by Scoti Domeij Tandem-jumping into Normandy with Army Rangers who served with my son, Sgt. First Class Kristoffer Domeij, to honor the fallen at the 2019, 75th D-Day commemoration makes this 2020 Memorial Day even more sobering. Our documentary, Here Am I, Send Me, captures what we experienced in Normandy. Standing on Omaha Beach, … [Read more...]

Why the Breonna Taylor Shooting Should Terrify You

Why the Breonna Taylor Shooting Should Terrify You by Kevin Wilson In March of this year, police officers in plain clothes executed a “no-knock” raid on the home of Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. The Louisville Metro Police Department obtained a warrant to search the premises on the grounds that they suspected drugs to be present. Walker, believing … [Read more...]

Telling the Trauma of War

Telling the Trauma of War by Matt James The trauma of war and our ability to talk about it is a constant battle. Not all experiences are the same, and consideration of each has equal importance. 13 years ago, one of my non-commissioned officers died in an ambush (improvised explosive device) in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. Not unlike other somber anniversary, I reflect … [Read more...]

The Reality of Mother’s Day: A Time to Weep and Mourn, Laugh and Dance

The Reality of Mother's Day: A Time to Weep and Mourn, Laugh and Dance by Scoti Domeij My sweetest and most painful Mother’s Day was our family’s first Mother’s Day as a single-parent family. As a new single mom, Mother’s Day was painful. The pastor’s sermon never talked about moms, but their husbands. I didn’t waste any time “educating” my pastor. Families congregated to … [Read more...]

Dreading Mother’s Day: Finding Solace with the Brotherhood and Sisterhood

Dreading Mother’s Day: Finding Solace with the Brotherhood and Sisterhood by Scoti Domeij This first appeared in The Havok Journal May 8, 2016. Mother’s Day...at the first mention in the week leading up to Mother’s Day my conscious mind didn’t take much notice except for one fleeting thought, Oh it’s that time of year again? Too busy to give Mother’s Day much notice, … [Read more...]

Hope in Hell: Letters from Inside Auschwitz

Hope in Hell: Letters from Inside Auschwitz by Alyssa Sudermann "Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future." — Auschwitz survivor and author Elie Wiesel Do you ever come across a historic story that just enthralls your mind? A story that sends you into a tailspin of research, and you end up reading countless … [Read more...]

Breathe

Breathe by Aaron Smith Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Training takes over, I need gloves! Where the fuck are my gloves?? Hands slippery with sweat struggle to put them on, Too hard, Too Hard! Try another pair… They’re too small and I’m too sweaty. Get to work. Bare hands now, slipping down into the ditch; Two pairs of eyes, white with horror Stare at me, pleading, … [Read more...]

The Fear

THE FEAR by Aaron Smith I smelled it, the first time. The stink of Fear, underscored by the whites of his eyes In the dead of night, We Men, sent to take him- His children screaming, crying. His wife struggling and trying To comfort his family. I felt nothing for him. He was the enemy. A terrorist. The next time, It was mine. The heat of the day, the expectation of … [Read more...]

From Ritual to Reality: Because He Lives

From Ritual to Reality: Because He Lives by Scoti Domeij This first appeared in The Havok Journal March 27, 2016 My annual nostalgia of Easter now blossoms in reverse. My firstborn was killed in Afghanistan in the fall of 2011, the wild season of skeletal trees surrendering their fiery leaves to swirl and spiral into oblivion. Winter’s crushing mourning forged … [Read more...]