Review: 'Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors' 4

A rule of thumb, in both newsrooms and Tactical Operations Centers, is that "two times is a coincidence, but three times is a trend." Four times? Four times must make something an institution.

Now in its fourth consecutive volume, and published annually on or near Veterans Day, the military-writing anthology series "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors" is arguably the high-point of the 12-month veterans-lit calendar. In partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council, the series is published by Southeast Missouri State University Press, Cape Girardeau, Mo. Comprising short fiction, non-fiction essays, interviews, and photography generated by or about military service members, veterans, and families, no other book publishing effort so regularly portrays the scope and depth of U.S. military experiences.

World War II is here. Korea and Vietnam are here. Iraq and Afghanistan are here. The home front is here.

The Navy is here. The Army is here. The Marines are here. The Air Force is here.

The memories of 80-year-old veterans are here. The words of a high-schooler from Gilman, Iowa are here.

It's all here. Every year.

In reading across the most recent edition's 270 pages, one is struck by the chorus of voices. One hears harmonies in times and places. One hears differences in experiences, but never dissonances. In short, the book seems to embody the sentiment: "Everybody has their own war; no one has to fight it alone."

Keeping with the choral metaphor for a moment, the solo performances are stand-out. Each issue features a winner and two honorable mentions in five categories: fiction, essay, interview, poetry, and photography. (Disclosure: The writer of the Red Bull Rising blog was a runner-up in this year's poetry category.)

For example, photography winner Jay Harden's image, "Planning for Peace," graces the cover of the book. Harden was a B-52 navigator on 63 missions over Vietnam.

This year's fiction contest winner, Christopher Lyke, weaves a braided narrative of loss and return and fighting against—or maybe for—the routine. A former infantry soldier, Lyke is a Chicago-area writer, musician, and teacher. He is also the co-editor of the literary journal "Line of Advance." You can hear the Chicago in his prose, in story titled "No Travel Returns":

He woke up and ran the dog and showered. He dressed and woke up the kids. This kept happening. Then he made breakfast for the kids and woke up his wife. This happened every day, too. He made it happen, this routine.

Essay category winner David Chrisinger delivers a profile of U.S. Marine Brett Foley, an Afghan War veteran. Chrisinger, a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, interviews Foley and Foley's wife, and grounds the resulting conversation in grief theory. Chrisinger is the son of a Vietnam-era veteran, and the grandson of a World War II veteran. He teaches a student-veteran reintegration course on campus, and counts Foley as his best friend. The resulting exploration is, then, both personal and professional:

What helped to increase Brett's resilience and help him move toward a productive and purposeful life was talking about his trauma and remembering the good men he served with. Only then could he move on. And even though he never discovered the complete and final truth of his experiences—no one ever really can—Brett did create meaning out of them by organizing his memories and creating a coherent narrative. […]

In the winning poem, titled "nights," Navy officer Nicholas J. Watts writes an hypnotic, rhythm-infused ode to sleep and memory:

nights
I visit dark places
where war still rages
and I didn't fight
like I should have
where whiskey flows
from plastic jugs into Salvation Army cups
to be cast away
like dead children from suicide bombs
or Talib cattle shot for sport […]

Such exemplars are indicative of the qualities to be found throughout the book. In a poem titled "TBI" (which stands for "Traumatic Brain Injury"), VA nurse Susan K. Spindler delivers a punch to the gut with lines such as:

[…] A brain weights three to four pounds.
It floats in a fluid that protects it.
You floated in me once, Josh.
I gave up pot and booze and moved
us far away from the man that was half of you.
I thought you would be safe. […]

In a war story titled "How I Almost Lost the War for the U.S.A.," Korean War veteran and former U.S. Marine George Fischer tells a hilarious and harrowing tale. He was driving a WWII-era amphibious truck called a "Duck," one laden with ammunition destined for the front, when he ran over a long-haul communications cable presumably used by much-higher headquarters. The Duck gets stuck. He walks over to a nearby artillery unit, to radio for assistance:

While I waited for that wrecker, the 155 guncrew listened on the phone to announce the next target. Some of the crew asked me how the hell did I get to this howitzer emplacement. I pointed to where my truck rested in the dark across the meadow at the road. They were amazed and astonished as they told me that field I had walked on was thoroughly mined.

In her introduction to this year's volume, series publisher Susan Swartwout describes some of her lessons, taken from four years of compiling, editing, and producing "Proud to Be":

Just a few of the things I've learned include that some veterans carry their stories inside and won't speak their war burdens to friends and family—but they will write them to the world when the have a place and invitation to do so. […]

I've learned that a veteran's coming home to loved ones and civilian life can be yet another battle with its own version of firestorm. […]

And I've learned that many veterans and military personnel have an awesome sense of humor, brilliant with word play and pranks.

Sherpatude No. 26: "Humor is a combat multiplier …" And thank goodness for it. World War II veteran Bill McKenna was an infantryman with the U.S. 24th Infantry Division in the Philippines, when his buddy took off, suffering from the "G.I.'s" (gastrointestinal distress). A Filipino leading a squad of Moro tribesmen happen upon McKenna. After a wary stand-off, they mention in passing to McKenna the recent death of the U.S. President:

For every G.I. in a far-off battle zone, it's great to hear from home—a letter from Mom, Sis, or Sweetheart. But today I got news delivered first-hand to me on a Philippine jungle road. Not the usual way to hear the news, I suppose, but damn, it was exciting.

Later, I learn that the news of the Roosevelt's death was delayed for troop morale considerations.

Where else are you going to hear a story like that? Who else but a veteran would be the one to tell it?

*****

For information on the 2016 military-writing contest and anthology, click here.

A Facebook page for the project is here.

A St. Louis-area book launch event is planned for 1 to 4 p.m., Sat., Dec. 19, 2015. The event is free and open to the public. Information here.

In Nat'l Guard Mag, Mil-blogger Revisits Korean War

In the current issue of GX Online, journalist and mil-blogger Susan Katz Keating delivers a fast-paced, fact-packed article about Korean War history that was inspired by her citizen-soldier father, Norman Katz. GX Online is an official magazine of the U.S. Army National Guard.

Keating chronicles National Guard mobilizations including California's 40th Infantry "Sunshine" Division (40th Inf. Div.) and Oklahoma's 45th Infantry "Thunderbird" Division (45th Inf. Div.). Between Aug. 14, 1950 and Feb. 15, 1952, she writes, the National Guard contributed approximately 138,000 reservists to repel North Korea. Norman Katz was a member of the 40th Inf. Div., and a Purple Heart recipient.

Troops fighting in Korea braved sub-zero temperatures, unforgiving mountain terrain, ubiquitous spies, and inferior supplies and equipment. One pharmacist veteran describes for Keating how he'd mix codeine into syrup, to suppress coughing that would give away their fighting positions. Another tells of being welcomed by a group of liberated Korean and Chinese prisoners of war while on a supposedly secret mission—informed by their former jailers, the prisoners knew more about the mission than the U.S. troops.

The issue is available FREE as a PDF file here. Keating's article, "Enduring Courage," appears on print pages 58-63, and PDF spreads 30-33. You can read her blog post about the GX Online article here. Her Facebook fan page is here.

Veterans, Artists Seek to Print Books on Forgotten War

A group of comic-book artists, veterans, and military supporters have launched a crowd-funding effort to make two graphic novels commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War available to the public. Originally created on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense for a June 27, 2013 commemoration, the graphic novels were never printed—possibly due to budget sequestration.

Coincidentally, the Korean War is sometimes called "The Forgotten War," because of the lack of public attention it received during and after the conflict.

The project fund-raising page is here.

Clayton Murwin, founder of Heroes Fallen Studios Inc., is the comic-book impresario who spearheaded the project. "These stories need to be told, they need to be put out there for the public, so that they'll be a lasting legacy," he says in a 7-minute fund-raising video recently posted on Kickstarter.

Since copyright has been returned to the artists, Murwin and his fellow creators are seeking just $2,500 to help prepare the two finished, 50-page volumes for publication via a print-on-demand service. Depending on final production costs, says Murwin, the volumes should retail between $15 and $25 each. The fund-raising campaign ends 12 noon Eastern Standard Time, Sat., Nov. 16, 2013.

Participants contributing $5 or more will receive a copy of the 72-page comic "Untold Stories From Iraq & Afghanistan," a collection of veterans' war stories and pin-ups published by Heroes Fallen in 2011.

Contributors to the Korean War volumes include: Jerry Bingham, Valierie Finnigan, Fletcher Horton, Levi Erickson, Scott Lee, Richard Meyer, Travis Miller, Clayton Murwin, Dan Monroe, Tom Orzechowski, Brian Shearer, Le Beau L. Underwood, and Eric White. A number of contributors are military veterans themselves.

Murwin recommends the books for most ages—the graphic novels aren't too graphic—although he cautions parents to preview the works before handing them off to younger children. After all, one can't accurately depict war without depicting a certain amount of violence. "[The project is] not so much about the violence," Murwin says, however, "it's about the sacrifice and dedication these veterans put through their service."

"Korean War, Vol. 1" tells stories centered around the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which occurred in November and December 1950. The book is written and illustrated by Richard C. Meyer, colored by Eric White, and lettered by Tom Orzechowski. Meyer is a U.S. veteran of the Iraq War, having served in the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from 2000 to 2004. He served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2010, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously wrote and illustrated the 2008 comic "No Enemy, but Peace," which tells the story how U.S. Marine Sgt. Marco Martinez earned the Silver Star at the 2003 Battle of At-Tarmiyah, Iraq.

Meyer's Chosin Reservoir narrative moves from the ground war to that of Lt. j.g. Jesse Brown, the U.S. Navy's first African-American aviator, as well as his squadron-mate Lt. Thomas Hunter. Flying carrier-based F4U "Corsairs," Brown and Hunter were providing air-support to U.S. forces encircled at Chosin Reservoir when Brown's aircraft was hit by enemy fire. Hudner deliberately crash-landed to aid Brown, who was trapped in his cockpit. Hudner was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, while Brown was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

"Korean War, Vol. II" comprises four stories derived from interviews with Korean War veterans conducted by Gulf War veteran and PTSD-awareness activist Scott Lee. Those stories include:

• "Hill 472," a story of U.S. Army Cpl. Ronald Rosser, a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Cover art by Jerry Bingham, colors by Eric White, script by Valerie Finnigan and Scott Lee, pencils by Dan Monroe, inks by Brian Shearer, and letters by Tom Orzechowski.

• "Guts," a story of U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Gen. Frederick "Boots" Blesse. Qualified on multiple fighter aircraft, inluding the F-86 "Sabre," Blesse is the nation's sixth-ranking fighter jet ace.

• "Seventeen," a story of U.S. Army Pvt. David Mills, who was 17 years old when he was taken prisoner during the defense of Outpost Harry.

• "Valor," a story of U.S. Army Cpl. Rodolfo "Rudy" Hernandez, who was once declared dead after the defense of Hill 420, about 15 miles south of the current border. During that action, Hernandez fixed his bayonet and charged, killing six enemy fighters before losing consciousness from grenade, bayonet and bullet wounds. He is a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

For more information about Heroes Fallen Studios Inc., click here. Or visit the organization's blog here.

For the Heroes Fallen Inc. Facebook page, click here.

For the Korean War project's Kickstarter page, click here. For a fund-raising video, see below:

Studio Visually Tells Veterans' 'Untold Stories'

Editor's note: This is Part II of this week's Red Bull Rising mini-series "Comic Book Re: Insurgency." See also Part I, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.

Clayton Murwin—sometimes called "The Hero Maker"—is the founder of Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc., Timberville, Va., a non-profit organization that publishes graphic novels that tell the stories of military service members and veterans in their own words.

In January 2011, Heroes Fallen Studios published the first issue of "Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan," a 72-page black-and-white comic-book-style anthology that covered the range of military experience. In its pages, readers found honor and humor, glory and gore, service and sacrifice.

Murwin, who never served in uniform himself, has instead dedicated his life, energy, and talents to documenting the service of others. He is, for example, currently under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to produce a multi-volume set of visual stories, which will depict the experiences of Korean War veterans. Two books are planned for publication in 2013. The first book will focus on the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in 1950. The second book will depict the separate stories of four veterans.

"I get the chance to make sure that these Korean War veterans get to have their stories told in a very unique way, a way that will reach many more people in my opinion than they would if they had just been done as a novel," Murwin says.

Mil-blogger Scott Lee, an Operation Desert Storm veteran who writes "P.T.S.D.: A Soldier's Perspective," is assisting Murwin by conducting interviews with the veterans. "We get to be the conduit of their stories and record them forever in a medium that transcends generations," the former M3 "Bradley" driver says. "How cool is that?"

"The first interview was the most difficult with a Medal of Honor recipient, I was triggered severely throughout the interview and the writing process. Later, the conversation turned to how his war experience affected him. He told me that the first 20 years were bad, but after that it got better," Lee says. "After living with [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] for the last 21 years, it gave me hope. It allowed me to start to think of my war trauma in long term perspective where before I was unable to do so. Interviewing the veterans and the writing process has given me a cathartic blueprint to revisit my war trauma."

Says Murwin: "Scott stuck it out! I knew he could do it! That's why I wanted him to do the interviews. One, I knew the veterans would be more open to him as being a combat vet himself because of that 'older generation' code they live by. And I think it gave Scott a new outlook on life after war."

Readers can access a free, 13-page PDF sample of the first issue of "Untold Stories" here. The book retails for $10, and is available at the Heroes Fallen Studios web-store here. The site also offers T-shirts, prints, and other merchandise. A portion of proceeds are donated to non-profit organizations that support military survivors.

Murwin also volunteers with the Journal of Military Experience, a hybrid academic journal and literary magazine published on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University (E.K.U.), a veteran-friendly institution in Richmond, Ky. Red Bull Rising blog-readers may recognize the university as the site the Summer 2012 "Military Experience and the Arts Symposium."

In November 2013, the third issue of The Journal of Military Experience will incorporate Murwin's "Untold Stories Vol. 2." The organizations are exploring how the publication might be presented with two "front" covers, perhaps by flipping the issue over.

If all that isn't enough activity, Murwin also draws 11x17-inch pencil portraits on request for family members who have lost a loved one in service to their country, working from a photographs of not less than 200 dots per inch (D.P.I.).

Heroes Fallen Studios welcomes queries and submissions from soldiers and veterans who want to tell their stories, as well as veteran and non-veteran artists, writers, inkers, letterers, and marketing professionals who wish to contribute to the organization's efforts.

Find Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. on Facebook here.

Find mil-blogger Scott Lee's "Combat PTSD Blogger" Facebook page here.

Continuing this week: Stories of writers and artists who are successfully telling war stories through their own super projects. Stay tuned, True Believers!