Great Red Bull Book & Holiday Gift Ideas!

Here are some new finds and old favorites for this year's grab-bag of holiday gift ideas for 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division service members, veterans, family, and other boosters:

"Reporting for Duty: U.S. Citizen-Soldier Journalism from the Afghan Surge, 2010-2011," edited by Randy Brown, chronicles the year-long deployment of the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) as one of the only U.S. National Guard brigades to engage in Full-Spectrum Operations in Operation Enduring Freedom. Relive all the missions—humanitarian and combat, morale-building and training—from the largest deployment of Iowa troops since World War II!

("Citizen-Soldier," a 2016 documentary film about Oklahoma National Guard's 45th Inf. "Thunderbird" BCT, which replaced the Red Bull in Eastern Afghanistan's Laghman Province, makes a great companion gift!)

Not a big reader? There's a "Red Bull Rising" Zazzle store with holiday cards, ornaments, and other designs! One favorite? This "Red Bull" snowflake ornament!

"Roaring Bull: The 34th Infantry Division in the Global War on Terror" by Brian Leehan is a 220-page yearbook-style collection of oral history, chronology, and photographs, tracing the division's multiple deployments between the years 2002 and 2016. (Leehan is also author of the civil war history "Pale Horse at Plum Run: The First Minnesota at Gettysburg." That unit's lineage is maintained the modern-day Red Bull's 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment.)

Underwritten by the 34th Infantry Division Association, Johnston, Iowa, the "Roaring Bull" book project will be an essential foothold for future family and unit historians. The 8.5-by-11-inch hardcover features interviews with approximately 60 current and former Red Bull soldiers, and more than 250 color photographs and maps. Cover price is $39.99. It can be mail-ordered with personal check or PayPal (for $37, including $5 shipping and handling), or purchased for $32 at the following locations, while supplies last:

• Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, Camp Dodge, Iowa
• Minnesota Military Museum, Camp Ripley, Minn.

"Deming, New Mexico's Camp Cody: A World War One Training Camp" by Jim Eckles is a fun tour of the training hardships faced by the citizen-soldiers of Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota who first organized as the U.S. 34th Infantry Division. While the unit has always been represented by the distinctive shoulder patch designed by painter and solider Marvin Cone of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, it was first named the "Sunshine" and then "Sandstorm" Division, the latter based on conditions in the dusty, hardscrabble camp. (The unit's "Red Bull" moniker was a World War II invention.)

The book's production and the author's tone are both friendly and accessible—reading it is a bit like conversing with a knowledgeable museum guide. The facts and anecdotes come freely, and, while readers may struggle to place each nugget into context, they'll certainly walk away entertained and informed. One favorite factoid? On April 7, 1918, the Chicago Cubs faced off in an exhibition game with players from the 34th Inf. Div. The Cubs won, 8-0.

"Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire" by Randy Brown is an award-winning collection of snarky poetry that often packs a powerful emotional punch. Brown takes from his experiences as a former "Red Bull" citizen-soldier, and as a civilian journalist who briefly embedded with the Iowa National Guard's 2-34th BCT in Afghanistan. (A 3,000-word essay by the same author, titled "Marvin Cone Goes to War," is featured in the latest volume of "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors" anthology series.The essay describes how artist Marvin Cone, then a private first class, came to design the Red Bull insignia.)

In one "FOB Haiku" poem, titled "From a Red Bull in Winter," Brown describes the Red Bull patch and the people it represents:

[…] The army wears its stories on our sleeves.
Every scrap is a battle, every stitch is a past.
We are canvas, leather, dust, and blood.

At airport gates and main street parades,
the right shoulder patch carries with it
Africa and Afghanistan, Italy and Iraq.

But you are more than these threads, these fragments, those bones:
You continue the march. You are the present, armed.
You are the “Attack!”

Aug. 25: 34th Inf. 'Red Bull' Div. Celebrates 100 Years!

On Aug. 25, 1917, the 34th Infantry "Sandstorm" Division was organized at Camp Cody, New Mexico. While the distinctive unit patch was also created by Iowa National Guard soldier and regionalist artist Marvin Cone in that same year, the division did not take on the nickname "Red Bull" until World War II.

The division's birthday is specified as the official "unit day" of the 34th Infantry Division by the U.S. Army's Center of Military History. As such, this day is to be commemorated with stories, displays, and ceremonies of the unit's past accomplishments.

According to Army Regulation 870-5 (Chapter 6, Section 2, Paragraph C):

Each organization should observe its Unit Day as a training holiday and commemorate its history in ceremonies that stress unit lineage, honors, heritage, and traditions, as well as personal accomplishments of former and current unit members. The Unit Day program may also feature such activities as parades, concerts, sports, and other competitive events.

"Attack! Attack! Attack!" Please celebrate responsibly.

Review: 'Tumult & Tears,' Poetry from Women in WWI

Book review: 'Tumult & Tears: An Anthology of Women's First World War Poetry' by Vivien Newman

With the confluence of National Poetry Month and the centennial of the America's entry into World War I, readers are more likely to encounter "Great War" narratives beyond the usual touchstone horrors of trench warfare, gas attacks, and lost generations.

In the popular mind, World War I is particularly likely to also be associated with poetry. The works and names of such poets as Robert Graves, Wilfred Owen, and Siegfried Sassoon are still regularly studied and celebrated. Some of the poems speak of glory, nostalgia, and patriotism, but more are likely to contrast such sentiments with images of shocking battlefield realities.

For many, their consumption and appreciateion of war poetry ends there, in the trenches. Indeed, novice writers and reviewers too often fall back into rhetorical ditches such as "war poetry died after World War I," and "it's too bad that war poetry isn't as popular as it was during World War I." In my opinion, such themes should be retired along with other journalistic story-crutches and English 101 clichés, such as "why no one reads poetry," "why poetry is going extinct," and "poetry is dead."

(For the record, war poetry isn't dead. It isn't even wounded. See this Red Bull Rising link for a list of 21st century war poets, or this new Time Now blog link for a great round-up of individual poems available to read on-line.)

In "Tumult & Tears," social historian Vivien Newman estimates that, out of 2,000 British war poets whose work was published during World War I, nearly a quarter were women. She expands and enriches our understanding of that war, and its resulting poetic tradition, by surveying the words and experiences of those ignored by the usual canonical field pieces.

The 224-page trade paperback presents a far-flung and accessible selection of poetry, organized by themes of women's changing roles in war, religion, uniformed service, nature, and grief. Where possible, Newman includes biographical sketches of each poet cited, providing personal context in addition to the social and political.

Newman's scholarship often delivers cascades of insight and epiphany. Take, for example, the concept of woman as mourner: That wives, girlfriends, and mothers might grieve for lost soldiers is no surprise. Newman introduces examples of others, however, just as valid in their experiences of grief. Consider the unrequited lover, the mistress, the nurse, the nanny. These are complicated, complicating voices. Not all are polished, but each is worthy of note. Each is a potential revelation to readers. As Newman writes in her introduction:

From the outset, my guiding principle was what the piece might tell us about the reality of the War for the poet—and by extension other the women, rather than the intrinsic literary 'value' of the poem. Another, equally important aim was to give readers a sense of the sweep of the poetry, both in subject matter and also poetic 'skill'. Some of the poems included are undeniably little more than ditties—albeit heartfelt ones; a few are amongst the finest in the English language.

In considering the many ways in which women engaged themselves in war, Newman explores topics such as knitting socks for the troops, rationing foodstuffs for the family, and manufacturing munitions. Women who served in uniformed included Red Cross workers, volunteer nurses, cooks, scullery and ward maids. They included Women's Land Army, ambulance drivers, and Women's Auxiliary Army Corps ("WAAC") members. All are quoted and represented here.

Regular readers of the Red Bull Rising blog will not be surprised that the poems I found most resonant were those that offered both insight and humor. There is plenty of parody in these pages, particularly those evoking Rudyard Kipling's "If". In her poem "Some WAAC," for example, E.M. Murray writes:

If you can drive from nine o'clock till seven
     Every day of the long week and still live on;
If you can keep you temper until even,
     You deseve a putty medal nobly won!
If you can put up with each hardship,
     The weather, the passenger, you car,
And still keep bright—well all that I can say is:
     'You're a topper absolutely, nothing bar.'

Book Review: 'Deserts of Fire' War Fiction Anthology

Book Review: "Deserts of Fire: Speculative Fiction and the Modern War', anthology edited by Douglas Lain

The collection "Deserts of Fire" is a cluster munition of ideas, 21 short stories designed to cover the greatest area possible, each one potentially explosive in the reader's headspace. Regardless of whether you prefer your futurist tales to be labelled as "science-fiction" or merely "speculative," there is little doubt that these explorations will ignite conversation and thoughtful analysis.

Also ideal: Anthologies are perfect for busy readers, including soldiers and sailors and stay-at-home dads. If something doesn't grab you, move on and find something that does. After all, it's not like you're committing to "War and Peace." The stories are organized into seven topic areas, each introduced by a short essay from the editor:

• Vietnam Syndrome


• Terrorism


• Weapons of Mass Destruction


• Shock, Awe, and Combat


• Mission Accomplished


• Life After Wartime?


• War is Over?

Anthology editor Douglas Lain's selections include a few original short stories, and others culled from a wide range of literature—including the 2014 anthology "War Stories: New Military Science Fiction," edited by Andrew Liptak and Jaym Gates. There are also excerpts from novels at least one novella. In short, Lain has done the heavy-lifting of curation, and delivered a rucksack-ready primer in the state of the world, the near-past and -future, and where writing about war may take us next.

It is obviously not Lain's first anthological rodeo. Lain, himself an author of science-fiction books, is also editor of "In the Shadow of the Towers," a 2015 anthology of speculative fiction organized on a theme related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"What you'll find in [Deserts of Fire] are stories written both after and during some of the wars in question," Lain writes in the book's introduction. "These stories represent efforts to answer the question of why this keeps happening. Some of the stories are small, and focused on the personal, while others take a larger, more systemic view."

In the mid-1980s, I was an enthusiastic consumer of mass-market paperbacks, anthologies of military science fiction titled "There Will Be War." The 9-edition series, created and edited by established writers Jerry Pournelle and John F. Carr, was reissued as an e-book series in 2015.

Until reading Lain's introduction "Deserts of Fire," however, I had yet to plug my youthful reading into the larger literary context, one that involves veterans returning from war, and how they come to write about it. Speculative fiction is another potential tool in the writer-veteran toolkit, not only for exploring effects of near-future technologies and potential political developments, but for illuminating military and civil culture.

Wikipedia credits a 1975 anthology, "Combat SF," edited by Gordon R. Dickson, as potentially being the first example of military-themed science fiction collected as an anthology. In press materials for "Deserts of Fire," Lain notes a 1987 New York Times book review of a Vietnam War-themed anthology titled "In the Field of Fire," in which reviewer David Bradley says, "[…] Vietnam was science fiction." Bradley's fleshing out of that idea is worthy of note, particularly in that it serves as the intellectual area of operations for Lain's collection:

The elements of the situation were staple science-fiction premises. The landscape was alien—not for nothing that in Vietnam War parlance anyplace else was called "the world." The people were alien-seeming—and certainly we, with our cold beer and napalm and helicopters, must have seemed to the Vietnamese to be an invading horde of bug-eyed monsters.

The society had a history and a set of cultural assumptions that seemed as incomprehensible as those of an inhuman race. The place seemed like an alternate universe, where all the sanity, rationality, logic just seemed to not work. It is a standard science-fiction theme—the doomed struggle to overcome the territory while refusing to understand the laws that govern it. The defeat through culture-shock of the all-powerful invaders is a standard science-fiction conclusion.

Find/replace the word "Vietnam" with "Iraq" or "Afghanistan" or "The Foreign Country du Jour," and you get a sense of what might be at stake in collections such as these.

Individual preferences will, no doubt, vary by reader. I was personally taken, however, with Linda Negata's "Light and Shadow," a story that involves neural networking technology that connects a Tactical Operations Center ("TOC") with a patrol in the field. In typical headquarters-unit fashion, it also involves life insurance.

Ray Daley's "Seeing Double," newly published here, is a humorous, nearly Vonnegut-esque take on lookalike decoys groomed and trained to help protect Saddam Hussein. And Rob McCleary's "Winnebago Brave," cannily positioned immediately prior to the story of Daley's Husseins (McCleary's story mentions a similar scheme of mustachioed decoys), provides a first-person narrative voice that has become a personal favorite of mine. Of the fate of a fictional Army buddy character named "Boston," the narrator says:

Re-enlisting in the army, beginning his two-chevron hokey-pokey all over again. Finally (in true Boston form) quitting for the last time on the day after 9/11. Because any chump can volunteer the day after 9/11 for imaginary combat fighting for imaginary freedoms. In the "fools rush in where Angels fear to tread" post-9/11 enlistment surge of middle-class precious snowflakes whose sense of entitlement was so all-consuming it gave the the right to win the War on Terror singlehandedly, Boston's quickly forgotten gesture proved one truth: that the first-year arts students who dropped out of college to become Navy Seals in a weekend did not understand the reality that best part of having an all-volunteer army is that you don't have to volunteer.

I have read and re-read that paragraph, and pondered mightily where it fits on Lain's previously mentioned spectrum. Does Boston's truth illuminate the personal, or the systemic?

Easy answers do not volunteer themselves.

10 Things One Gulf War Memoirist Says Not to Forget

Editor's note: Earlier this week, Minnesotan Joel Turnipseed wrote these 10 aphorisms while musing about the recent 25th anniversary of the start of the Persian Gulf War. As a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's 6th Motor Transport Battalion in 1990-1991, Turnipseed deployed to Saudi Arabia as a tractor-trailer driver—part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

After writing a 1997 article for GQ magazine about the experience, the former philosophy major later expanded the work into the 2003 book "Baghdad Express: A Gulf War Memoir." It is funny and unique—a "modern bohemian war memoir." You can still find it in both hardcover and trade paperback editions.

While he originally shared these thoughts with family and friends via social media, Turnipseed has graciously granted permission to the Red Bull Rising blog to publish it here.

*****

Turnipseed writes:

Today is the 25th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. I've already written plenty about the subject—and I'm not really looking to editorialize (not comprehensively, anyway) ... but there are few things we somehow always seem to forget that seem worth remembering today:

1. War does not turn boys into men—it turns them into endangered boys. 

2. War does not solve problems—it just creates different problems to solve. 

3. There is no such thing as "protecting our troops" (from injury, from PTSD, from ...) during a war. Go ask the alcoholic and suicidal drone operators, who conduct war from a video game machine, how "well-protected" they feel from war. 

4. Never ask anyone to tell you a war story unless you want to risk feeling like a terribly shitty human being when they're finished. 

5. Never tell a war story unless you, too, want to risk feeling like a terribly shitty human being when you're finished. 

6. Never trust anyone who denies numbers 1 through 5: They are either hurting way more than they're letting on or they're incapable for other reasons (personal or professional) of telling the truth. 

7. Turns out people live effective, interesting lives in surprising and wonderful ways after they've been injured … which in no way erases the fact that they've been hurt. I recently saw a man with both arms blown off at the elbows work the TSA line like a champ. I wanted to cheer him, until I recognized what that meant ... 

8. Any time someone uses war to inspire you, run like hell. 

9. Veterans make terrible sacrifices for their country, in the act of killing the citizens of others'. Nurses, doctors, police officers, EMTs, firefighters, construction workers, fisherman, truck drivers, miners, and any number of other workers make terrible sacrifices for their country, to make life longer and safer. Go thank a truck driver for his sacrifice; buy a nurse a drink. 

10. We've now been (including "No-Fly Zones" & Operation Desert Fox & ...) at war in Iraq for 25 years. Stop and think about that. There are college graduates who have never known a period when we were not at war in the Middle East. Something scarier? Many of them have no reason to believe they are in any danger ...

Minnesota Rises to Question Civil War Art in Capitol

"The Second Minnesota Regiment at Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863" by Douglas Volk. SOURCE: Minnesota Historical Society

After Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton proposed moving or removing military art and artifacts depicting the state's American Civil War history to less-visible locations than the reception room outside his office, a state capitol preservation commission has opened the matter to public discussion. The governor reportedly questioned whether the five historical military-themed paintings best depicted the diversity of experiences in the state.

Rep. Dianne Loeffler, a Democrat who represents part of Minneapolis, was quoted as saying in support of the move, "We have enough battles in here that I think some rooms should not have as many victims visually portrayed."

The proposal takes place within the context of a multi-year building project. The Minnesota state capitol building, built in 1905, is currently closed to the public for renovation and restoration, and will not be re-opened to the public until early 2017. Legislative and executive branch business continues as scheduled in the building.

Maj. Gen. Richard C. Nash, adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, has fired back that "war is no less horrible now than what it was in 1861," and argued for the preservation of the artwork's current pride of place. The former commander of Minnesota's 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division has even gone on television and participated in a Dec. 7 public hearing on the topic.

The paintings in question include those titled "The Second Minnesota Regiment at Missionary Ridge, November 25th 1863” by Douglas Volk, and "The Battle of Nashville" by Howard Pyle. (More about the historical battles they each depict here and here.)

Minnesota's Civil War history runs early and deep. The First Minnesota Regiment was the first state unit to be offered to federal service in defense of the Union, sustained the highest casualties of any unit the war, and is much celebrated for its actions on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Although not displayed at the state capitol, the First Minnesota has been depicted in a "National Guard Heritage Series" painting and print by Don Troiani.

The historical lineage of the First Minnesota is maintained by the Minnesota National Guard's modern-day 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, a unit that is aligned with the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Inf. "Red Bull" Div. (2-34th BCT).

The public is invited to continue to comment until Dec. 18, 2015 regarding the Civil War paintings and the Minnesota capitol restoration by sending input via e-mail: capitol.art@state.mn.us; and/or by participating in an on-line survey here.

The Minnesota State Capitol Restoration Commission will incorporate all public input into a report due to be published in January 2016.

FREE 'Unofficial Anecdotal History of Challenge Coins'!

Creator of the daily web comic "Schlock Mercenary" Howard Tayler, along with editor Sandra Tayler and the rest of Tayler Corp., released this week a unique collection of stories about challenge coins. The 32-page "Unofficial Anecdotal History of Challenge Coins" (U.A.H.C.C.) is available FREE as a PDF that can be downloaded here and here.

In the U.S. military and other organizations, challenge coins are used to informally commemorate relationships, missions, and good jobs done for the cause. Coins aren't as highfalutin or formal as a medal, and they're not useable as cash, but they're great souvenirs and conversation starters. In some unit cultures, they can also be used to win free drinks.

A quick description of the project reads:

[The UAHCC] is not an authoritative attempt to codify the rules of coin challenges, nor is it a scholarly treatise creating an historical narrative. It is a collection of stories that are similar to the sorts of stories you might hear if a bunch of people were sitting around at the bar one night draining pints and talking about challenge coins. We've done our best to present these stories in a way that respects the various challenge coin traditions, and pays appropriate tribute to those who have served.

Some personnel prize their coins more highly than other military mementos. Because each one comes with a story.

For example, military-fantasy writer Myke Cole writes in a few closing words to the UAHCC: "[T]here are times I don’t feel capable of doing good, don’t feel equal to the work necessary to pull good off. The coin sits on my rack, a glittering reminder of the good I can do when I really try."

Coin from Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.),
34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) deployment to
Eastern Afghanistan, 2010-2011.

The project even mentions 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division deployment history! On page 24, the writer of the Red Bull Rising blog tells the story of arriving in Afghanistan in 2010-2011 as civilian media, and how the presentation of a unit coin played out in a humorous mix of tribal welcome, homecoming, and unexpected hugs.

Someone also called him a puppy.

Howard Tayler writes the introduction to the UAHCC, and punches up the action with a few cartoon illustrations. All are right on target. While Tayler is not a veteran himself, his storytelling always manages to capture the cozy, good-natured camaraderie of serving with others in uniform, while chaos and armageddon are danger-close.

The antics and sayings of his misfit band of space mercenaries are much celebrated in some military circles. His ongoing list of "70 Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries" begins with rule No. 1: "Pillage, then burn." No. 2 is "A Sergeant in motion outranks a Lieutenant who doesn't know what's going on."

No. 3 is "An ordnance technician at a dead run outranks everybody."

Maxim 2/3 coin available at www.schlockmercenary.com.

The UAHCC was initiated as a stretch goal in Tayler's successful challenge coin Kickstarter campaign in 2013, which raised $154,294 on an original goal of $1,800. (See a Red Bull Rising mention of that project here.) Many of Tayler's words have since been captured on challenge coins, and the UAHCC project seems a particularly appropriate bit of thanks and payback to his military fans.

For more information on the UAHCC, or to contribute to later updates, the Schlock Mercenary website advises: "Please direct all inquiries to schlockmercenary [AT] gmail.com, and include the unpronounceable acronym 'UAHCC' in the subject line. We welcome submissions, hosting updates, suggested changes, and requests for source."

Howard Tayler, creator of "Schlock Mercenary," sent these greetings from GenCon 2011.

Let's Not Joke About Ebulla

This past weekend, U.S. military officials announced that the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division headquarters, along with hundreds of other National Guard and Army Reserve units from across the nation, were no longer slated to deploy to the West African nation of Liberia this spring. This essay was written prior to that announcement.

Sgt. 1st Class Katz is preparing to go to Africa. It'll be her fourth deployment. The Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division headquarters has been alerted for the Ebola-response mission to Liberia. The mission is called "Operation United Assistance." I tell her it'll be a good mission—a good story. She tells me something she remembers me saying once, regarding going to Afghanistan with the division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2-34th BCT).

"You said something about how everything kind of fell into place, for both you and the unit," she says. "How the Red Bull boasted the longest-deployed units to Iraq ... the largest deployment of Iowans since World War II ... one of only three National Guard brigades to own battle space in Afghanistan ... This might be the only time anyone would ever see something like this."

In typical sentiment, Katz says she doesn't want to go, but also that she wants to go. I understand the push-pull, topsy-turvy, mixed feelings about pending deployments. It's heady stuff, being called up to help change the world. Citizen-soldiers get to see history in the making. It's also a burden, however. Family and friends worry. Life and job get interrupted. Embrace the suck.

"Still," I remember my father saying once or twice, "it has a certain appeal ..."

I remember Papa Sherpa coming off a U.S. Air Force Reserve rotation to Operation Desert Shield. Soon after, he put in his retirement papers. He had started his active-duty military career during the Vietnam War, as a navigator on a C-130 Hercules, flying tactical airlift missions. After a variety of other platforms and missions, he ended his career in the same way.

After his paperwork had already been filed, however, the military mission to Somalia popped up. At the time, I was relatively new to the service, and was wearing Army greens. Off at months of Army training, I'd missed the war in Kuwait. That was on my mind when I asked Dad if he regretted putting in his papers, and potentially watching his former colleagues lift off without him. "You know," he said, "this might have been one to miss ..."

"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again." The same Army officer who once tagged me with the "Sherpa" nickname was the one who recommended that I watch the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, while we were both deployed to a peacekeeping mission to the Sinai Peninsula. From that science-fiction program, I first learned the mantra of the eternal return: "All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

Of all the lessons I learned in the Army, that phrase explains the most.

After I graduated, I swore that I'd never come back to Iowa, but I did. I returned to Iowa after Army communications school, and joined the Iowa Army National Guard. I worked a couple of community and metro newspaper jobs, and made the jump to trade magazines by the mid-1990s.

My first editorship? I kid you not: It was a trade magazine for managers of corporate, hospitality, healthcare, institutional facilities and campuses. The now-defunct publication was was called—again, I am not making this up—"Maintenance Executive."

How's that for high-falutin'?

My interest in writing about best-practices and lessons-learned stems from that experience. Twenty years ago, I was writing about the threats of Ebola, as well as other emergent diseases, on behalf of those professionals most likely to clean it up. In one memorable columnist's portrait, I was photographed wearing a suit and tie and my M17A2 protective mask. I'd borrowed the latter from my locker at the National Guard armory.

For magazine cover-story, I interviewed Richard Preston, author of the non-fiction book "The Hot Zone." Preston tells stories of three strains of Ebola, each named after the place of its discovery: Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Reston (Va.). My family and friends took to naming the seasonal flu after the person who'd first discovered it: Ebola Jeff, Ebola Scott, Ebola Sherpa ...

Hilarious, no? I kill me.

So, Katz is off to war again. And Ebola doesn't look like as much of a joke as it was when I was young and immortal. But the Red Bull is, once again, present at the fulcrum of history. People like Katz don't want to go, but they don't want to stay at home, either. This will be the first time I'll see a Red Bull friend of mine move out smartly, post-Afghanistan.

It's not a war, but neither is it business as usual. The Red Bull is again on the attack.

Two thoughts haunt my hours:

"This one might have been one to miss."

"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

'War Stories' Comic Now Tracks '73 Israeli Tank Crew

"War Stories" No. 4 from Avatar Press, wrap-around cover variant

In addition to more fantastic stories featuring such characters as Nick Furyand The Punisher, comic-book writer Garth Ennis has a long personal history of telling gritty, realistic, and fact-filled tales of war.

There are, for example, two four-issue mini-series with the title "War Stories," published by Vertigo in 2001 and 2003. And there are more than eight collected volumes of his "Battlefields" series, published by Dynamite Entertainment starting in 2008—each comprising quirky, fact-filled stories about lesser-known aspects of history, driven by memorable characters.

In three of those "Battlefields" volumes, for example, appeared stories of British tank crews, each headed by a veteran sergeant whose Tyneside dialect was thicker than the armor that protected them.

Seriously, Sgt. Stiles's dialogue is harder to interpret than reading Shakespeare. But much more fun.

The crew appears in three series or volumes, each written by Ennis and drawn by Carlos Ezquerra:

• "The Tankies" (Battlefields, Vol. 1): Cpl. Stiles and his crew man a British Churchill tank during the battle for Normandy.

• "The Firefly and His Majesty" (Battlefields, Vol. 5): Sgt. Stiles and a new crew man a new Sherman Firefly—no longer always outgunned, but still not a match for the German King Tiger that lies in wait for the Allied advance.

• "The Green Fields Beyond" (Battlefields, Vol. 10): World War II veteran Stiles continues fights on in the Korean War, as part of a Centurion tank crew assigned to the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars.

The armored pedigree is important, insofar that it demonstrates not only that Ennis knows his way around a story, but that he knows his way around a tank as well. This is fiction, but fiction with a point—and the point is to illuminate history. Ennis aims toward realism, not sensationalism. These are not books for children.

"War Stories" No. 4, standard cover

Now arrives from Ennis a newly launched "War Stories" series, this time published by Avatar Press. In issue No. 4, on stands Jan. 7, starts "Children of Israel," a 3-part story of an Israeli tank crew on the Golan Heights in early October, 1973. The artist is Tomas Aira, who delivers serviceably expressive characters, along with technically appropriate military equipment. Nothing kills a war comic like in inaccurately rendered weapons.

The tank is again a Centurion, but its commander is a yet-unnamed sergeant who was a boy during World War II. The character remembers seeing the inside of a German tank—most likely a Panzer III—while living the Warsaw Ghetto, as well as being liberated by Soviet T-34s in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The first issue is heavy with exposition, but Ennis makes it all clank together nicely. The sergeant talks with his captain about the current strategic and political terrain. The latter has helpfully drawn a map in the sand for some visiting journalists. "You shouldn't talk to reporters, Captain," the sergeant advises. "It only encourages them."

The sergeant also talks about his crew, made up of reservists with no previous experience of war. In NCO staccato, he observes:

Chaim's the driver, a little bullet of a man from Nazareth. Not much seems to shake him [...] Gunner Daniel is a lethal shot, but lacks imagination. Independent action is beyond him. He'll never be promoted, never wonder why. The loader, Shlomo, is a nervous wreck.

Given the approachable ways that Ennis communicates military history, one hopes that he continues his armored march toward present day.

The "War Stories" series is currently only available in monthly issues. Check your local comic store, or on-line retailers. or digitally via Comixology. Note that there are multiple variant covers.

Red Bull Round-up: 'While We Were Out ...'

Happy New Year! Like you, we're busy getting back into the swing of things: putting away holiday decorations, getting the kids back to school, clearing off the desk, and resolving to get back to work.

Meanwhile, here are a few notes from news that occurred over the holidays:

'GO FOR BROKE' ON ROSE PARADE FLOAT: World War II veterans of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, Japanese-American veterans who at one point fought in Italy while assigned to the U.S. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, were honored while riding a float at this year's Rose Parade. The veterans weathered near-freezing temperatures during the parade. The float was sponsored by the city of Alhambra, Calif. For YouTube video, click here.

THE 'RED BULL' WINTERS OVER IN JAPAN: Members of Bravo Company, 100th Battalion/442nd RCT Reenactment Group, who study and demonstrate what life was like for 34th Inf. "Red Bull" Div. soldiers while fighting in World War II Italy, conducted their annual winter camp on Jan. 2-3 in Shizuoka, Japan. For photos, click here and here.

NEW BOOK BY DOCTRINE MAN!!: At his mil-blog "The Pendulum", the ever-snarky Doctrine Man!! posted an annotated Year in Review. He also released his third collection of military-themed cartoons, titled "Fifty Shades of Multicam", available through Amazon here.

NEW 34th INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION CHAPTER: The "First Minnesota" chapter of the 34th Infantry Division Association was recently granted charter. There's a Facebook page for the new organization here. The lineage of the "First Minnesota"—named after a unit of Minnesota volunteers during the American Civil War—is maintained by the modern Minnesota National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (2-135th Inf.), headquartered in Mankato.

'WOMAN VETERAN' LICENSE PLATES AVAILABLE IN MINNESOTA: Minnesota vehicle license plates inscribed with the words "woman veteran" are now available. The design features an American flag, and a silhouette of a female service member against an outlined state of Minnesota. Applicants for the plates should bring copies of a DD-214 or other discharge papers as proof of their service.

WRITER-VETERAN REPORTS FROM LIBERIA: Brian Castner, author of "The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows," recently filed a New Year's report from the African nation of Liberia, where U.S. military forces are assisting in efforts to control Ebola. Members of the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Inf. Div. headquarters, as well as other National Guard units nationwide, are slated to deploy to the "Operation United Assistance" mission there later this spring.

OH, YEAH ... WE ALMOST FORGOT: WAR ENDS IN AFGHANISTAN. Maj. Gen. John Campbell, current commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, cased the colors of the International Security Assistance Force ("ISAF") mission there on Dec. 28. The "non-combat" mission there is now called "Resolute Support."

Readers of the Red Bull Rising blog may remember that Campbell was previously the commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to which the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Inf. Div. (2-34th BCT) was assigned during its 2010-2011 deployment to Afghanistan.

Iowa's 34th Army Band to be Honored for WWII Service

Based on an Iowa National Guard news release dated Dec. 6, 2014:

The Iowa National Guard's 34th Army Band, based in Fairfield, Iowa, will be presented the Croix de Guerre with Palm, a battle streamer the unit earned during its campaigns of World War II but was never formally awarded. The oversight was recently discovered during a routine review of the unit’s lineage and honors.

The presentation will be held on Sat., Dec. 13, beginning at 2 p.m., at the Iowa Army National Guard Armory, 1501 W. Stone Ave., Fairfield, Iowa. The award ceremony will be followed by a community concert by four of the 34th Army Band’s Music Performance Teams. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend this event.

The French Croix de Guerre with Palm is a division-level award instituted on April 8, 1915 by the French government to recognize acts of bravery in the face of the enemy. The 34th Army Band originally received the award under Decision No. 843, on June 21, 1945 by the president of the provisional government of the French Republic, with the following citation:

"An elite Division, whose loyal and efficient cooperation with the French divisions, which begun in Tunisia, was gloriously continued throughout the Italian campaign. During the operations of Belvedere, the 34th Infantry Division, despite the difficulties of the moment, displayed the most courageous actions in support of the operations of the 3rd Algerian Division."

During action in World War II, the band fought in campaigns at Tunisia (North Africa), Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley (Italy).

Minnesota's 34th Inf. Div. Band

Today, there are two bands that trace lineage through the history of the U.S. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division. One is a Minnesota National Guard Unit: The 34th Inf. Div. Band, headquartered in Rosemount, Minn.

The division band traces its lineage to the 1st Infantry Band, (Minnesota National Guard) organized in April 30, 1900. The unit was redesignated the 135th Infantry Band in 1917 for federal service in World War I as part of the 34th Infantry Division.

The 135th was activated in 1941 for service in WWII. The 135th Infantry Band arrived in Ireland in 1942 and earned the distinction of being the first U.S. band to play in the European Theater of Operations.

Iowa's 34th Army Band

The other "Red Bull" legacy band unit is the Iowa National Guard's 34th Army Band, headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa.

Concurrent to the 135th in World War II, the 133rd Infantry Band (Iowa Army National Guard) was deployed to Africa and Italy as part of the 34th Infantry Division. The 133rd earned the distinction of landing with the first contingent of U.S. troops in early 1942 as a part of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and became known as the "Oldest Band" in the European Theater of Operations.

On Jan. 1, 1944 the 135th Infantry Band (Minnesota Army National Guard) was combined with the 133rd Infantry Band (Iowa Army National Guard) to create the 34th Infantry Division Band.

An official webpage about the Iowa National Guard band unit is here.

An official Facebook page for the Iowa band organization is here.

An official webpage about the Minnesota National Guard band unit is here.

An official webpage about the Minnesota band organization is here.

These are a Few of Sherpa's Favorite Things ...

While you hum that "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" song in your head, here are a few Sherpa-esque holiday gift ideas and double-tapped recommendations from earlier in 2014:

1. "Six-Word War: Six-Word Stories from a Generation at War in Iraq and Afghanistan"

"Reviewed here. Now in paperback here."

How's that for six words?






*****

2. "Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow" (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack)

It's "Groundhog Day" (1993) meets "Starship Troopers" (1997)!

The ultimate sci-fi deployment pron for former Army lessons-learned guys!

Your results, of course, may vary.



*****

3. "Red, White, and True: Stories from Veterans and Families, World War II to Present"

I keep one of these handy as ammunition against those who would argue that "fiction is the only way to tell the truth of war." Readers, take note: I might embellish, but I don't feel the need to make things up. Collections like this demonstrate the power of sticking to the facts.





*****

4. "A Year at Danger" documentary on DVD

An Iraq War documentary by West Point graduate, Texas National Guard citizen-soldier, and fellow Telling Project alumnus Steve Metze. It tells the story of Metze's 2005 deployment to Iraq—he served at FOB Danger, near Tikrit—just nine days after his wedding.

Of all that I've read, viewed, or experienced regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this is the thing that has most accurately and effectively captured the National Guard deployment experience. This is what happens when we send our neighbors off to war.

*****


5. "War Stories: New Military Science Fiction"

I started reading military science fiction in the 1970s and '80s, and rediscovered it when I put John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" in my cargo pocket for Afghanistan in 2011. This anthology of new military science-fiction offers emerging visions of what war might come to look like, from human-led robot squads to a weaponized version of Facebook.





*****

6. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division snowflake cookie plate

Originally designed in 2013 with a little help from the Sherpa kids, we digitized the Red Bull "snowflake" and put it on coffee mugs and greeting cards at the new Red Bull Rising Zazzle store.

Our favorite item is this cookie plate, which has successfully infiltrated the indigenous holiday decor. Bonuses: Dishwasher-safe! Household-6-approved!


*****


7. Subscription to print version of Veterans Writing Project's "O-Dark-Thirty" literary journal

Only $30 for a four-issue subscription! Quarterly hits of veterans' fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more! Keep writing! Keep reading!

Third 'Proud to Be' Mil-Writing Anthology Released

A third volume of the "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors" anthology series, published annually by Southeast Missouri State University Press, is released today, Tues., Nov. 11, 2014. The cover photo features an Air Force blue color palette and qualification badges. Cover photo is by Jay Harden. The anthology features the fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and photography of more than 60 military writers.

The new books may be ordered through the press here, or via Amazon here.

Editors of the series have already opened submissions for a fourth volume of military-themed fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, oral histories, and photography. Deadline is June 1, 2015. The project is open to all military personnel, veterans, and family members.

According to the submissions notice, entrants can submit to a contest in which each category carries a first-prize of $250, or submit to the anthology alone. All entries will be considered for the anthology. There is no entry fee to the contest or publication.

Through the efforts of the Warriors Arts Alliance, the Missouri Humanities Council, and Southeast Missouri State University Press, the first "Proud to Be" volume was published in November 2012. The second was published last December.

"[T]his series of anthologies preserves and shares the perspectives of our military and veterans of all conflicts and of their families," reads the Southeast Missouri State University Press contest page. "It is not only an outlet for artistic expression but also a document of the unique aspects of wartime in our nation’s history."

For a 2012 Red Bull Rising interview with "Proud to Be" editor Susan Swartout, click here.

To submit only to the 2015 anthology, mail previously unpublished work with self-addressed, stamped envelope (S.A.S.E.) for notification to:

Warriors Anthology
Southeast Missouri State University Press, MS 2650
Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701

To submit to both contest and anthology, e-mail previously unpublished work to: upress@semo.edu. Also note:

• Entries must be sent electronically as Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx).

• Keep poems in one document (with 1st poem as title).

• Put your name and contact info on first page and nowhere else on the manuscript.

For all submissions, whether mailed or electronic:

• Limit one submission in each category per person.

• Poetry: up to 3 poems (5 pages maximum).

• Fiction, essay, or interview: 5,000-word limit.

• Photography: up to 3 good-quality photos (will be printed in the book as black and white).

• Submissions exceeding the limits will be disqualified.

• Include a biography of 75 words or less with each submission.

• Winners and contributors will be notified by Nov. 1, 2015.

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.

Iowa 'Red Bull' Units Awarded Organizational Honors

By Staff Sgt. Chad Nelson
Iowa National Guard

During a March 2014 ceremony, Maj. Gen. Tim Orr, The Adjutant General of Iowa, presented the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) and subordinate battalions with Meritorious Unit Commendation battle streamers for their performance of duty in Eastern Afghanistan, 2010-2011.

United States Army Permanent Order #176-07 DATED 25 JUNE 2013 reads:

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is presented to for exceptionally meritorious service during the period 15 November 2010 to 20 July 2011. The Headquarters 2d Brigade Combat Team 34th Infantry Division and the cited units demonstrated the ability to execute counterinsurgency operations and accomplished the mission beyond the call of duty. Their expertise in bringing decisive combat power to bear on the enemy wherever and whenever needed set the conditions for overwhelming victory and represents a phenomenal effort. 

The units’ support of the Afghan government and Afghan National Security Force partners facilitated the creation of a safe and stable environment for Afghanistan’s citizens and set the conditions necessary for sustainable progress in governance, development and agriculture. The dedication and performance of Headquarters 2d Brigade Combat Team 34th Infantry Division and the cited units are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon the units, the 34th Infantry Division and the United States Army. BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY.

The photo above includes the organizational colors with the current command teams, comprising commanders and command sergeants major. These colors represent the more than 3,500 soldiers of the 2-34th BCT:

• 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division – Col. Damian Donahoe and Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Adams

• 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment – Lt. Col. David Nixon and Command Sgt. Maj. Joedy Dennis

• 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment – Lt. Col. Scott Keeley and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Strasser

• 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery Regiment – Lt. Col. Derek Adams and Command Sgt. Maj. James Cline

• 334th Brigade Support Battalion – Lt. Col. Chad Stone and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Collins

• 2/34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion – Lt. Col. Wade McKnight and Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Dreher

• 185th Combat Service Support Battalion – Lt. Col. Joni Ernst and Command Sgt. Maj. David Enright, standing in for Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Newton

The 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Reg. (1-168th Inf.) also deployed with the 2-34th BCT. The unit is commanded by Lt. Col. Tim Sulzner, who is assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Miller, and was was recognized with a Meritorious Unit Commendation as part of the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagle" Division earlier this year.”