'Red Bull' Featured in 'True War Stories' Anthology

Fifteen captivating tales of humor, horror, and other wartime experiences are presented in the forthcoming 250-page comics anthology "True War Stories." The 250-page hardcover, co-edited by Alex de Campi and Iraq War veteran Khai Krumbhaar, will be published by Z2 Comics in November 2020. However, a 30-day Kickstarter campaign launches today, Tues., Aug. 18, 2020. Through the crowd-funding effort, readers may preview and pre-order the book.

One of the featured "True War Stories" is related to the 2010-2011 deployment of the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division.

Written by former Iowa National Guard citizen-soldier Randy Brown, "In the Valley of Lions" originally appeared as an essay in Volume 2 of "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors." As "Charlie Sherpa," Brown writes about citizen-soldier culture at the Red Bull Rising blog; about modern war poetry at FOBhaiku.com, and about military writing at The Aiming Circle. He also edited a 2015 collection of U.S. Army public affairs journalism about the Iowa brigade's deployment, "Reporting for Duty: U.S. Citizen-Soldier Journalism from the Afghan Surge, 2010-2011."

"As far as I can tell, the last time the 'Red Bull' unit patch showed up in a comic book was in 'Combat Kelly' No. 21, published in 1954," says Brown. "Unlike that story, however, this 'Red Bull' tale is the non-fiction—the real deal. I hope it adequately portrays some of the strange context and significant sacrifices our citizen-soldier neighbors made for the United States, for the people of Panjshir Province, and for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA).'"

Art on the 13-page comics story "In the Valley of Lions" is by Ryan Howe. Colors are by Kelly Fitzpatrick.

Brown's original essay contrasts a 2-day U.S. Department of State-sponsored "tourism conference" held in Pansjhir Province in June 2011, with a July 2011 insider attack that resulted in the deaths of Sgt. 1st Class Terryl Pasker, 39, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and civilian law enforcement advisor Paul Protzenko, 46, of Enfield, Mass. Also injured in the attack was Master Sgt. Todd Eipperle, 46, of Marshalltown, Iowa. Eipperle was recognized for his response to the attack.

Later in 2011, the Red Bull Rising blog posted additional information about the attack here.

Published annually published by Southeast Missouri State University Press, Cape Girardeau, Mo., the "Proud to Be" series is an anthology of military non-fiction, fiction, poetry, photography, and more. For a Red Bull Rising review of the 2013 volume in which "In the Valley of Lions" first appeared, click here.

For more information about "True War Stories," and to pre-order one or more copies—including editions autographed by the co-editors—visit the Kickstarter campaign here.

Update: Soldier Sets New Sights on Seven Years' War

Jason Huffman with "1750: Britain vs. France" at GenCon 2014. PHOTO: Battle Hardened Games, Inc.

Editor's note: This post is an update to a Red Bull Rising post that ran Aug. 28, 2014. While the effort to meet that earlier, $28,000 goal proved unsuccessful, the game designers have recently launched a smarter, leaner attempt at funding the project. With more than 25 days to go, they seem well on their way to making their $12,000 objective.

Like many soldiers, Iowa Army National Guard member Jason Huffman loves history, loves games and simulations, and loves learning about history through gaming. After months of game design, play-testing, and even demonstrating at the 2014 GenCon gaming convention in Indianapolis, he and his colleagues at Battle Hardened Games have launched a crowd-funding effort to bring their inaugural game "1750: Britain vs. France" to full production.

Sample graphics from the game "1750: Britain vs. France"

The game "1750" is a 2-player card-based strategy contest, using both dice and cards to fight for control of the board. One player plays as Britain and the other as France, and each seeks to dominate the globe. Players leverage historical events, land and sea forces, generals and admirals, supplies, and allies to control the North American, African, and Indian colonies in the years leading up the American Revolution. The graphics incorporate the paintings, maps, and other artwork of the day.

A Kickstarter page for the project is here. A video is here, as well as below. A Facebook page for Battle Hardened Games is here. Huffman started his game company in 2013, and is trying to raise $12,000 by Wed., Nov. 9, 2016.

"My top priority is to deliver games that you'll enjoy playing, whether you are a history fan or not," he writes on his website. "But I do hope that you will learn a little bit about history when playing our games. I also hope that some educators will consider using our games as a framework for discussing history, particularly the leaders, battles, economics, and geography involved."

In 2007-2008, Huffman spent a year deployed to Western Afghanistan as part of an Embedded Training Team (E.T.T.). There, he saw the echoes of empires first-hand. (Also, be sure to ask him about the Taliban chicken.) In his first game design, however, he chose to focus on the 18th century struggle between imperial powers Britain and France—the "Seven Year's War." (In the theater that was to become the United States, the conflict is better known as the "French and Indian War.")

For Huffman, the historical milieu provides an opportunity to explore lessons on scales ranging from the global, to the individual. He writes:

Many British officers that would later play major roles in the American Revolution also fought in the Seven Year's War, with some of the younger officers in the American Revolution going on to fight in other British conflicts of the late 1700s.

There are a few British generals that I find particularly interesting in terms of their legacies from this era. They fought in multiple wars and had very different results in each of them. Growing up in an American school system, our history books didn't really address parts of their careers that didn't deal with American history. Basically they get mentioned within the context of the American Revolution and that’s it.

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, circa 1796

Take, for example, Charles Cornwalis. Huffman writes on his website:

Basically, looking at American history books, or watching [2000 film] The Patriot, Cornwallis would have been viewed as the biggest loser of the 1700s. He surrendered an army of over 7,000 soldiers, the act that ultimately broke military British efforts to retain the 13 colonies. This same person was hugely instrumental in the ongoing rise of British power in the Indian subcontinent. You can't look back at him and only weigh the Yorktown surrender in judging his performance as a commander [...]

The entrepreneurial Huffman is an Iowa National Guard signal officer, and also spent time as a civilian contractor instructing on mission command systems. He now works for a national healthcare insurer.

Huffman is a 2003 graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

"My love of military history was certainly a strong influence in my decision to join the military," he tells the Red Bull Rising blog. "My grandfather was also a medic in the 34th Infantry Division during WWII in North Africa and Italy, and that was always inspiring to me when I decided to join."

And ... what about the war story regarding Pashtun poultry? "I was driving wearing N.V.G.s [Night Vision Goggles] during an operation to cordon an Afghan village, when a chicken flew at our Humvee, knocking out a tactical satellite that had been zip-tied to the hood and really hurting our communications during that operation."

"That chicken," Huffman says, "was Taliban."

Book Review: 'Terminal Lance: The White Donkey'

Review: "Terminal Lance: The White Donkey" by Maximilian Uriarte

As mil-humor enthusiasts and web comic fans can attest, Maximilian Uriarte's graphic novel "Terminal Lance: The White Donkey" has been a long time coming. And it has been worth the wait.

The Iraq War veteran and former Marine successfully funded his magnum opus in August 2013. The 284-page book released on Feb. 1, 2016, and quickly sold out. The creator has hinted at making arrangements for another print run.

The White Donkey tells the story of Abe and Garcia, two fictional characters who have previously appeared Uriarte's "Terminal Lance" three-panel comic, which publishes twice weekly on-line, and weekly in the Marine Corps Times print edition.

The titular white donkey is a beast of Uriarte's own memory and experience—an animal that he once encountered in Iraq. The donkey is real. Uriarte writes:

We had five fully armored vehicles, 23 Marines loaded to the teeth with rifles, grenades, crew-served weapons, and all the might and power of the United States Armed Forces. All of it was brought to a screeching halt by the most benign of animals.

A lone White Donkey made us all look like asses.

The donkey is also metaphorical. The white donkey could be Abe's version of Ahab's white whale. It could be his white buffalo. It might symbolize Iraq, or the Middle East. It might even be God.

Nested within such rich ambiguity, Uriarte has created a smart-bomb of a literary device: A graphic novel that's graphic enough to portray the necessary bits about war being an ugly thing; sweet enough to depict the boot camp bromance of battle buddies on the road to war and back again; and downright beautiful enough to be regarded as mother-effin' literature.

It's an asymmetrical weapon designed to breach the civil-military divide. A Trojan Horse, potentially getting veterans and civilians to open up about their respective wartime experiences. Yes, there are jokes. Yes, it is entertaining. Yes, it is a "comic." It is also an important book.

As Brian Castner, Iraq War veteran and writer of "The Long Walk" and the upcoming "All the Ways We Kill and Die" tweeted earlier this month: "Every non-writer vet I know, the guys who don't professionally talk abt books, is talking about this @TLCplMax book."

That's because Uriarte is a skilled observer of the human condition, as well as Marine life. He's an effective writer—direct, to the point, no B.S.—and a fantastic visual storyteller.

Artistically, the book is a tour de force: Freed from the black-and-white tyranny of the newspaper page, Uriate's confidently executed linework is now augmented with a full-spectrum of mono-colored, ink-washed effects.

He varies his color palettes, spread by 2-page spread: Greens for boot camp scenes. Khakis and dusky rose for 29 Palms and Iraq. Blues and grays for home in Portland, Ore. Purple for dream sequences.

Occasionally, Uriarte punches a single object into reader awareness by depicting it in fuller color: An Iraqi flag. A U.S. shoulder patch. A bottle of Gatorade.

Uriarte also experiments with splash pages—scenes that cover a whole page or spread—and occasionally fades to white during transitions. In a few climactic scenes, he boldly keeps his readers' gaze on hard-to-stomach realities, creating slow-motion sequences, splash page after splash page.

This story could not be told as effectively in any other way—screenplay or novel—without diminishing the magic.

In short, "The White Donkey" turns out to be a unicorn. A bright, shiny, mythical ride. A beast capable of inspiring, informing, and enlightening. Do not look away. Do not frighten it. Follow it, if you can.

You might find what you're looking for.

Comics Seeks to Capture Tale of 'Tiger on the Storm'

Perhaps facing similar funding odds as the beloved A-10 itself, a group of comics creators is developing a graphic novel about the U.S. Air Force's 23rd Fighter Group during Operation Desert Storm. The unit continues the lineage of the famed "Flying Tigers" of World War II.

Based on her work on previous war-themed projects, including "Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan" and "Korean War, Vol. 2", comics writer Valerie Finnigan was approached by the daughter of U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. David Sawyer at the 2014 Salt Lake Comic Con regarding the project. The general was a former commander of the 23rd Fighter Group, which flies the A-10 aircraft.

The A-10–formally named the "Thunderbolt II," but more commonly called some variant of "Warthog"–is specifically designed to provide troops on the ground with Close Air Support ("CAS"). The aircraft, which went into production in 1977, the low- and slow-flying aircraft notably features a titanium bathtub for pilot survivability, and a gatling cannon that delivers up to 3,900 rounds of 30mm ordnance per minute.

In defense-policy circles and on the Internet, there are on-going debates whether the U.S. Air Force can continue to support ground troops using expensive, high-flying, multipurpose aircraft such as the F-35 "Lightning II." Critics argue the Air Force is actively squashing stories of the A-10's continued successes in Afghanistan and other theaters, for political reasons.

Finnigan quickly got to work on the project, now titled "Tiger on the Storm," researching the unit and the aircraft:

"The aircraft themselves also proved a bit of a challenge," she writes on her blog. "Appearance counts for a lot in a visual medium like comics, which is probably why A-10 Warthogs such as those flown by the 23rd [Tactical Fighter Wing] don't appear often in comics. The civilian public wouldn't line up by the hundreds or thousands to see them in an air show like they would for much prettier F-18 Hornets. While Warthogs are maneuverable enough to do their jobs, they look ugly and sound downright obnoxious."

"Get to know them though, and you just may fall in love as much as anyone can with aircraft," she continues. "In talking with veterans who served on the ground as well as in the air, I learned why the Warthogs are so feared by enemy forces and strongly beloved by our troops. This is why I’m glad to have 'Korean War' penciller Dan Monroe on board doing pencils and inks. His ten years in the Army helped him learn a healthy appreciation of good close air support such as the Warthogs provide."

In addition to Finnigan and Monroe, "Korean War" team members Eric White (colors) and Tom Orzechowski (letters) are also potentially participating in the "Tiger on the Storm" project. Via Indiegogo, the crowd-funding effort seeks up to $50,000 to cover production, printing, and distribution costs. For more information, click here.

Former Mil-Vlogger to Fund Bone-Marrow, PTSD Film

Kenneth J. Raimondi is a former U.S. Air Force combat correspondent and video-blogger with 13 years of service, and was part of a multimedia team that conducted a 2010 tour downrange titled "30 Days Through Afghanistan." Now, he and a fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA in film classmate David Pinkston, are seeking to crowd-fund a feature-length story about other service-related passions: blood-marrow donation and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.).

A year after returning from Afghanistan, Raimondi was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a bone marrow disease. "I would ultimately need a bone marrow transplant. Thankfully, there was a match on the bone marrow registry, and when Cameron was called, he gave and saved my life," Ramondi writes. "The bone marrow transplant ultimately ended my military career, but set me on a path to filmmaking." A blog Ramondi wrote during the match and donation process is available here.

A Kickstarter fund-raising campaign page for Raimondi's film project, titled "Her Unlikely Kin," is here.

The effort ends Wed., Oct. 15. A Facebook page for the film is here.

A synopsis of Raimondi's feature film project reads:

Sarah Rassi is running out of options. She needs a bone marrow transplant and her only match on the registry is troubled war veteran, Peyton Sinclair. Can Peyton overcome his own battles with PTSD to step up and save Sarah's life? "Her Unlikely Kin" tells the story of two strangers, who by rare genetic chance, can offer each other new life.

"My goal is to make people aware of the miracle of bone marrow transplants. I want to show people that doctors and medicine are great, but that the cure for another human being may very well rest in your marrow. You can save someone's life," writes Raimondi. "I hope 'Her Unlikely Kin' shows this in a dramatic way that hits people in a way no commercial or news story can."

"I also intend to show a veteran with PTSD as a hero, not a victim. PTSD does exist, but it does not define you."

Because of health requirements for donation, Active- and Reserve-Component personnel represent a highly desirable population for DNA registry. Registry drives are often conducted through military installations and organizations, and more than 700,000 service members and Department of Defense civilians are currently registered. Blood marrow is only donated after a successful match is identified.

If you've ever had your cheek swabbed by Uncle Sam, you may already be registered as a potential donor. The "Be The Match Registry" is the new name for the National Marrow Donor Program (N.M.D.P.) registry. The non-profit organization is based in Minneapolis, Minn. To check to see whether you are already registered as a potential donor, click here, or call 1-800-MARROW-3.

There are also smaller national registries, which are listed here.

If funded, filming and other production of "Her Unlikely Kin" will take place in San Antonio, Texas.

Iowa Soldier Crowd-funds to Refight 'Seven Years' War'

Jason Huffman with "1750: Britain vs. France" at GenCon 2014. PHOTO: Battle Hardened Games, Inc.

Like many soldiers, Iowa Army National Guard member Jason Huffman loves history, loves games and simulations, and loves learning about history through gaming. After months of game design, play-testing, and even demonstrating at the recent GenCon gaming convention in Indianapolis, he and his colleagues at Battle Hardened Games have launched a crowd-funding effort to bring their inaugural game "1750: Britain vs. France" to full production.

Sample graphics from the game "1750: Britain vs. France"

The game "1750" is a 2-player card-based strategy contest, using both dice and cards to fight for control of the board. One player plays as Britain and the other as France, and each seeks to dominate the globe. Players leverage historical events, land and sea forces, generals and admirals, supplies, and allies to control the North American, African, and Indian colonies in the years leading up the American Revolution. The graphics incorporate the paintings, maps, and other artwork of the day.

A Kickstarter page for the project is here. A video is here, as well as below. A Facebook page for Battle Hardened Games is here. Huffman started his game company in 2013, and is trying to raise $28,000 by Sun., Sept. 28, 2014. He has already fronted the graphic design and other developmental costs. If funded via Kickstarter, the game is ready to go into full production.

"My top priority is to deliver games that you'll enjoy playing, whether you are a history fan or not," he writes on his website. "But I do hope that you will learn a little bit about history when playing our games. I also hope that some educators will consider using our games as a framework for discussing history, particularly the leaders, battles, economics, and geography involved."

In 2007-2008, Huffman spent a year deployed to Western Afghanistan as part of an Embedded Training Team (E.T.T.). There, he saw the echoes of empires first-hand. (Also, be sure to ask him about the Taliban chicken.) In his first game design, however, he chose to focus on the 18th century struggle between imperial powers Britain and France—the "Seven Year's War." (In the theater that was to become the United States, the conflict is better known as the "French and Indian War.")

For Huffman, the historical mileu provides an opportunity to explore lessons on scales ranging from the global, to the individual. He writes:

Many British officers that would later play major roles in the American Revolution also fought in the Seven Year's War, with some of the younger officers in the American Revolution going on to fight in other British conflicts of the late 1700s.

There are a few British generals that I find particularly interesting in terms of their legacies from this era. They fought in multiple wars and had very different results in each of them. Growing up in an American school system, our history books didn't really address parts of their careers that didn't deal with American history. Basically they get mentioned within the context of the American Revolution and that’s it.

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, circa 1796

Take, for example, Charles Cornwalis. Huffman writes on his website:

Basically, looking at American history books, or watching [2000 film] The Patriot, Cornwallis would have been viewed as the biggest loser of the 1700s. He surrendered an army of over 7,000 soldiers, the act that ultimately broke military British efforts to retain the 13 colonies. This same person was hugely instrumental in the ongoing rise of British power in the Indian subcontinent. You can't look back at him and only weigh the Yorktown surrender in judging his performance as a commander [...]

In his "spare time," the entrepreneurial Huffman is an Iowa National Guard signal officer assigned to 734th Regional Support Group (R.S.G.), and recently spent time as a civilian contractor instructing on mission command systems. Huffman is a 2003 graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "My love of military history was certainly a strong influence in my decision to join the military," he tells the Red Bull Rising blog. "My grandfather was also a medic in the 34th Infantry Division during WWII in North Africa and Italy, and that was always inspiring to me when I decided to join."

And ... what about the war story regarding Pashtun poultry?

"I was driving wearing N.V.G.s [Night Vision Goggles] during an operation to cordon an Afghan village, when a chicken flew at our Humvee, knocking out a tactical satellite that had been zip-tied to the hood and really hurting our communications during that operation."

"That chicken," Huffman says, "was Taliban."

Never-Printed 'Korean War' Comic Books Now on Sale

Two graphic novels commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War are now available in print via on-line retailers, thanks to a successful crowd-funding effort conducted by a group of comic-book artists, veterans, and military supporters last November.

Originally written and drawn 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 in 2013. 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 books are available via Amazon.com at these links:

• "Korean War, Vol. 1"
• "Korean War, Vol. 2"

And via Barnes & Noble.com at these links:

• "Korean War, Vol. 1"
• "Korean War, Vol. 2"

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 said during the fund-raising campaign.

After copyright had been returned to the artists, Murwin and his fellow creators sought just $2,500 to help prepare the two finished, 50-page volumes for publication via a print-on-demand service.

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

'Restrepo' Filmmaker Launches 'Korengal' Kickstarter

One of the producers of the 2010 Academy Award-nominated documentary "Restrepo" is crowd-funding the theatrical release of a second film focused on a platoon of U.S. soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.

Taking its name from the eastern Afghan valley in which it was shot, "Korengal" is the third documentary project from Sebastian Junger, author of "War" (2010) and "The Perfect Storm" (1997).

The Kickstarter page, which includes a 3-minute video trailer of the already-finished film, is here. In 2007 and 2008, Junger and "Restrepo" co-producer Tim Hetherington repeatedly embedded with a platoon of 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (173rd A.B.C.T.) soldiers in the Korengal Valley, Kunar Province.

Where Junger describes "Restrepo" as immersive and experiential, he says the follow-up "Korengal" is intended to help make sense of—or at least reflect on—that earlier experience. On camera, its subjects talk about fear, and courage, and what it takes to make it through a combat deployment.

Readers of the Red Bull Rising blog may recall that the 2010 release of "Restrepo" occurred just as the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division was preparing to deploy to Eastern Afghanistan, including the adjacent Laghman Province. In fact, the "Restrepo" promotional team arranged for some Red Bull soldiers to preview the film while at annual training 2010, Camp Ripley, Minn.

In his recent Kickstarter launch, Junger writes:

Korengal picks up where Restrepo left off; the same men, the same valley, the same commanders, but a very different look at the experience of war. Korengal explains how war works, what it feels like and what it does to the young men who fight it. As one soldier cheers when he kills an enemy fighter, another looks into the camera and asks if God will ever forgive him for all of the killing he has done. As one soldier grieves the loss of his friend in combat, another explains why he misses the war now that his deployment has ended, and admits he would go back to the front line in a heartbeat. Every bit as intense and affecting as Restrepo, Korengal goes a step further in bringing the war into people's living rooms back home.

"Korengal" is Junger's third feature-length documentary film. His second, 2013's "Which Way to the Front Line from Here," commemorated the life of photojournalist, author, and "Restrepo" co-producer Tim Hetherington, who was killed during fighting in Libya in 2011. Following that death, Junger started the non-profit Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues (R.I.S.C.), which trains freelance journalists in combat life-saving techniques.

For the official "Korengal" movie website, click here.

For the Kickstarter page, click here.

For a Facebook page for the "Korengal" film, click here.

Podcaster Seeks Funding for Veteran-Suicide Series

Marine veteran, cancer survivor, and podcaster Timothy Lawson is seeking to crowd-fund a 12-episode series focusing on veteran suicide. "Many of my guests would not feel comfortable in front of a camera, nor do I think their stories would be best presented through print," he says in a Kickstarter video. "Podcasting is a great medium for this."

According to the project's Kickstarter page:

The title of this project is "1, 2, Many" because we have lost one too many service members this way without changing course in how we deal with the issues at hand. But it is also called "1, 2, Many" because the veterans battling depression and suicidal thoughts often hide their struggles; yet once we discover there is one person in our life who has been affected by this, we find that we know a second person, and a third, and many, many more.

Lawson, who is studying broadcast journalism at American University, Washington, D.C., calls the project a mix of journalism and story-telling. He also currently hosts three on-going podcasts, including one for Veteran Empire. "This isn't about the awareness, this isn't about the cause," he says on the Kickstarter video. "This is about giving the listener an audible experience, that will give them a better understanding ... that will make them feel more connected to the stories, the experiences, and the insights on veteran suicides."

Lawson is seeking $6,000 to complete his project, and would release the podcasts starting in June. As of this writing, he is nearly halfway to his crowd-funding objective. The Kickstarter window closes Wed., Mar. 19.

A Facebook page for the project is here.

Book Review: 'Six Word War'

Review: 'Six Word War'

"Some sad. Some funny. All true."

Compiled by two West Point graduates, "Six Word War" is a short collection of poetic phrases submitted by their readers, each distilling a military service member's Iraq or Afghan deployment experience into just six words. Things like:

• "Six men enter, five men leave."

• "Joined Navy. Spent year with Army."

• "Avoid potholes. They tend to explode."

• "Some smells you will never forget."

• "Battle Captains: Responsibility without any authority."

• "Kids grow fast in a year."

The project was inspired by Smith Magazine's popular "Six Word Memoirs" project. Now published after Kickstarter effort last summer, the glossy and hard-covered "Six Word War" delivers 100 pages of pithy insights, strange tales, and both good and gallows humor. There are even a few color photo illustrations.

The book's website explains:

Instead of a book about Iraq or Afghanistan that tells one soldier’s perspective, Six Word War is the first ‘crowdsourced’ war memoir that will tell a story different than any other ever told about war. For the first time in history, one book will contain the collective experience of our military at war in their own words.

Sometimes veterans have funny stories to tell and sometimes they’re tragic. Not every story on its own could justify an entire book, but that’s what we think is incredible about this project. The thousands of stories that we’re gathering tell the real story of Iraq and Afghanistan—a story that couldn’t possibly be told by one person.

A related website continues to collect 6-word submissions here. The editors say they plan an expanded future edition. A Facebook page is here.

Military Sci-Fi Book Needs Writers, Guns, and Money

The literary terrain is littered with the hulks of military science-fiction stories of the 1970s and '80s, and Hollywood has lately been stripping the carcasses. Given the daily advances of military tech heralded in today's headlines, however—robot tanks and mulebots and supersuits—it's probably time for a revolution. Or, at least, a renaissance.

This weekend, for example, sees the premiere of "Ender's Game" (2013), based on a 1977 short story and a 1985 book, by Orson Scott Card. (To read the original short story, in its entirety, see the author's website here.)

There are rumors of a pending remake to "Starship Troopers" (1997), a movie inspired by the 1959 book by Robert A. Heinlein.

There are more-than-rumors that a "Forever War" film is also in the works, based on the 1974 novel by Joe Haldeman. (For a 2011 Red Bull Rising note about Haldeman's work, click here.)

Using science-fiction as a device, military writers can explore the effects of new technologies on how we think, fight, and act ... as a military, and as the society it protects. It's time for a new generation of war stories.

A group of editors and writers has launched a $10,000 crowd-funding project toward publishing an anthology of military-themed science-fiction, with the aim of telling "some new stories that look at the future of warfare, and the people, robots and aliens involved." The Kickstarter project ends Nov. 14.

The Kickstarter project page is here.

Participants contributing $25 or more to the "War Stories" project will receive a trade paperback edition of the anthology.

At the $150 level, there are opportunities to have a fictional character named after you, a technique called "Tuckerization."

At the $250 level, there are opportunities to have your writing critiqued by a published author. Participating author-mentors include Janine Spendlove, an active-duty U.S. Marine KC-130 pilot and author of the War of Seasons series.

For more information, see the Kickstarter project page here, or the "War Stories" website here. A Facebook page is here.

On the same Nov. 14 deadline, the group has also issued an open call for previously unpublished stories of 1,000 to 7,500 words in length. Ideal length is less than 5,000 words. According to the submissions guidelines:

We want top-notch original military science fiction stories that are contemporary, innovative, relevant and exciting. We want to speak to the civilians and soldiers of the last decade, keeping in mind the collective experiences of the wars in the Middle East and Africa, from all sides of conflicts. We’re not looking for stories that are necessarily set in the present or near future, but stories that take to heart the major themes and lessons that we’ve seen. Stories on different planets, timelines, with power armor, spaceships, robots and more are welcome.

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:

Theater Group to Present on Military Sexual Trauma

The Telling Project, an Austin, Texas-based non-profit organization that has presented more than 20 grassroots theatrical presentations of veterans' military experiences nationwide since 2007, has announced a play focused on sexual assault in the military. Titled "Uniform Code," the play will premiere January 2014 at the Library of Congress' Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

The group is currently fund-raising toward a $50,000 goal toward the play's production.

Organizers see the event as an opportunity to inform both the public and policy-makers: "The U.S. military has seen a thirty-nine percent rise in reported incidences of [Military Sexual Trauma, or M.S.T.] since 2010. Congress is currently deliberating on our nation's way forward in addressing this critical situation."

According to a project description on the crowd-funding website Indiegogo:

The Telling Project will bring a cast of [Military Sexual Trauma] survivors and survivors' family members to Washington, D.Cc to develop, rehearse and premiere UNIFORM CODE. UNIFORM CODE will be these individuals telling their own stories, a three-act, play constructed through interview, transcription and scripting, rehearsal and ultimately performance [...]

$50,000 will bring the cast and critical staff to Washington, D.C. for the two weeks necessary to assemble this performance. It will pay for the best artistic, production and promotion personnel that the vibrant District of Columbia theatre scene has to offer. And it will underwrite an outreach campaign through congressional offices, constituents and networks inviting, urging and, where necessary, pressuring congressional representatives to attend the premiere of UNIFORM CODE.

For more information and updates, visit the group's Indiegogo project page, or visit the Telling Project website.

In 2011, the Telling Project presented "Telling: Iowa City." In 2012, it presented "Telling: Des Moines." Iowa Public Radio interviewed a portion of the cast and crew here. One of three announced 2014 productions will be conducted at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis; details are pending.

Project Seeks Veterans' 'Six-Word War Memoirs'

Through Kickstarter, two U.S. Army veterans are currently crowd-funding a hardcover collection of Iraq and Afghanistan war memoirs, each delivered in punchy six-word shot groups.

I wish I'd thought of that!

West Point classmates Mike Neman and Shaun Wainwright are seeking $4,900 through a fund-raising campaign that ends Aug. 30, 2013. Neman is also an author of humorous parenting books, and has previously conducted two other Kickstarter projects.

At the time of this writing, the pair have raised more than $4,000 toward their objective. Donors of $20 or more can receive a copy of the book. An accompanying video further describes the project:

"Six-Word War" is the first-ever crowd-sourced war memoir. It will give you unique perspective on our nation's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of a traditional war memoir that may give you just one person's perspective, this book will give you hundreds, hopefully thousands, of short stories from soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines.

Previously submitted entries range from pissy and punny, to provoking and poignant. Here are a couple of examples:

Simple people – complex problems – harsh terrain
— OEF IV 12-month deployment with 2-27 Infantry out of 25th Infantry Division.

PowerPoint Storyboard. Or it didn't happen
— Bobby Ragsdale

Running over soccer balls creates terrorists
— Nate Nahm

News stories must contain no downers
— Posted all over our 4ID office in Tikrit, per General Odierno

Where is your reflective belt, you?
— Will F.

Hearts and minds are only targets
— Anonymous

Veterans and military family members can submit their own six-word memoirs through a project website: www.sixwordwar.com.

For more information on the fund-raising campaign, click here.

There is also a Facebook page here.

Marine Tells Iraq Story in 'White Donkey' Graphic Novel

Maximilian Uriarte, Iraq War veteran and creator of the "Terminal Lance" web comic, has successfully funded a 150-page graphic novel that will explore challenges of depression, guilt, and suicide that some veterans face in returning home from war. People can pledge money to the project until Sun., Aug. 11.

Titled "The White Donkey," the serious drama is told through the experiences of Abe and Garcia—two characters originally created for the former Marine's more humorous "Terminal Lance" three-panel comic strip.

Uriarte has been writing "The White Donkey" for approximately three years. "I think it's an important story to tell," he says in a fund-raising video. "I don't think too many people have told that story [of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, guilt and suicide] before, and it's something that I really want to do."

Just because it deals with tough issues, however, doesn't mean the project will be without Uriarte's usual sand-in-the-crotch humor. In one sample page, for example, one Marine asks the other, "How do we know who the good guys are?"

Answer: The glow-belts.

A 2013 graduate of the California College of the Arts in Oakland, Calif., Uriarte originally sought $20,000 to publish "the White Donkey" via the Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. To date, he has received pledged in excess of $118,000.

Depending on the levels of their respective contributions, participants at levels $25 or more will receive either digital or hardcopy copies of Uriarte's "The White Donkey," as well as other rewards.  Supporters at levels $10 or more will have their names listed in the "The White Donkey." Click here for more information about available incentives.

After a print-run limited only to the Kickstarter project's participants, the author plans to shop the book to traditional publishers.

In addition to his "Terminal Lance" comic strip, which appears regularly in the Marine Corps Times, Uriarte works as a freelance artist and animator in the San Francisco Bay area. His senior animation thesis, titled "A Dog and His Boy," tells a story of one Marine's sacrifice from the point of view of his dog.

He has also previously published "Terminal Lance: Head Call" and "Terminal Lance: Knife Hand Compilation (Strips #1-100)."

Other examples of Uriarte's video and print work appear on his Kickstarter campaign page.

OIF Veterans to Trek from Milwaukee to Los Angeles

Starting Aug. 30, 2013, two Iraq War veterans will walk from Milwaukee, Wis. to Los Angeles–a distance of 2,700 miles–in order to raise funds and awareness for veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) and others. Other challenges faced by U.S. military veterans and their families include homelessness, unemployment, and suicide.

Funds raised will benefit Dryhootch of America, a Milwaukee-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that promotes alcohol-free coffee-shop social centers, and peer counseling programs for U.S. military veterans. The trekking veterans have set their target high: $100,000.

Anthony Anderson was a member of the Wisconsin National Guard from 2002-2008. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 with the Louisiana National Guard's 256th Brigade, and in again in 2007 with Wisconsin's 105th Cavalry Regiment.

Tom Voss served in the active-duty Army from 2003-2006. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 with 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment (3-21 Inf.), an element of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division  "Tropic Lightning" Division (1-25 Inf.).

To cover costs, the two walkers are seeking to raise a start-up amount of $5,000 via crowd-funding website Indiegogo here. A video describing their "Veterans Trek" project is here.

Anderson and Voss invite other veterans and supporters to walk with them through towns along the way. In Iowa, the walking route will go through the towns of Dubuque, Farley, Dyersville, Earlville, Manchester, Winthrop, Independence, Jesup, Waterloo, Marshalltown, Des Moines, Adel, Stuart, Anita, Atlantic, Hancock, and Council Bluffs.

Visit the Veterans Trek website here and Facebook page here.

For more information on Dryhootch of America, visit the organization's website or Facebook page.