This Armistice Day, Celebrate Veterans and Vonnegut

PHOTO: Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library

Working with other community partners Nov. 7-8, the non-profit Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library (K.V.M.L.), Indianapolis, Ind. will conduct and participate in VonnegutFest 2014, an annual celebration of the writer, artist, and Indianapolis-born Kurt Vonnegut.

Vonnegut was notably born on Armistice Day—what would later become Veterans Day—and his experiences as a prisoner of war in World War II Dresden served as the foundation for his satirical 1969 novel "Slaughterhouse Five."

VonnegutFest events include "Veterans Reclaiming Armistice Day":

As a part of the Spirit and Place Festival, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library presents "Veterans Reclaim Armistice Day". At 2 p.m., the event will kick off with an Art Resource Fair in the lobby of Central Library [40 E. St. Clair St.
Indianapolis]. From 3-4 p.m., there will be a panel discussion, moderated by National Public Radio Iraq War Correspondant Kelly McKevers, featuring Magnus Johnson of Elder Heart, Olivia Cobiskey, and Director of the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs Jim Brown. The Art Resource Fair will remain open during the panel discussion. Following the panel discussion, Central library will be sponsoring Career Services for Veterans.

From 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. and located at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, 340 N Senate Ave., Indianapolis, the KVML will celebrate the release of its third annual edition of its literary journal, "So It Goes." Contributors will read from their work, and an art exhibit titled "Billy Pilgrim's War Chest" will also be available for viewing.

Visit the KVML website here.

For a KVML Facebook page, click here.

Even if you can't attend VonnegutFest 2014 in person, consider reading this extensive and entertaining Paris Review interview from Spring 1977, in which Vonnegut talks of his military training and post-war experiences, and of writing them down. Here's an excerpt:

Others had so much more to write about. I remember envying Andy Rooney, who jumped into print at that time; I didn’t know him, but I think he was the first guy to publish his war story after the war; it was called Air Gunner. Hell, I never had any classy adventure like that. But every so often I would meet a European and we would be talking about the war and I would say I was in Dresden; he’d be astonished that I’d been there, and he’d always want to know more. Then a book by David Irving was published about Dresden, saying it was the largest massacre in European history. I said, By God, I saw something after all! I would try to write my war story, whether it was interesting or not, and try to make something out of it.

Or check out these two amusing and educational "Crash Course" YouTube videos by fellow Hoosier John Green, which explore the themes of Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five":

• "Aliens, Time Travel, and Dresden - 'Slaughterhouse Five' Part I: Crash Course Literature 212"

• "PTSD and Alien Abduction - 'Slaughterhouse Five' Part 2: Crash Course Literature 213"

'Through a Soldier's Eyes' Tails 'Red Bull' in WWII Italy

A 26-minute documentary depicting the travels of present-day members of the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division on a tour of that unit's World War II battlefields in Italy will debut on Minnesota public television channels Fri., Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. Central Time. For a 25-second trailer video, click here.

(In Central Iowa, "Through a Soldier's Eyes" will air 8 p.m., Nov. 4 on Iowa Public Television Channel 11.3.)

Luke Heikkila PHOTO: Twin Cities Public Television

Produced by Twin Cities Public Television producer Luke Heikkila, "Through a Soldier's Eyes" is part of an ongoing commitment by the station to tell the stories of Minnesota service members, families, and veterans. Heikkila embedded with Minnesota troops in Iraq in 2009, and in Afghanistan in 2012.

The 34th Inf. Div. was originally comprised of citizen-soldiers from Iowa, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. The unit's distinctive "Red Bull" patch is still worn by National Guard troops in Minnesota and Iowa. The project was previously mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog.

Earlier in 2014, Heikkila followed Staff Sgt. Dillon Jennings and other current members of the 34th Inf. Div. on a trip to Italy. The group toured battle sites such as Anzio, Monte Cassino, Volturno River, Hill 810, and others.

Jenning's great-grandfather, Bernard Bonnema, also served in the 133rd Infantry Regiment, one of the "Red Bull" units deployed to World War II Italy.

A veteran of two overseas deployments himself, Jennings didn't make the connection between his own service and that of his great-grandfather, until after participating in the record-breaking 22-month deployment of 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division (1-34th Bde.) to Iraq in 2006-2007.

Air-times and channels for "Through a Soldier's Eyes" are listed here, as well as below. The program will also be made available on-line veterans.tpt.org, and via the PBS World Channel.

Twin Cities Public Television, Channel 2.1

• Fri., Nov. 7 @ 9:00 p.m.
• Sat., Nov 8 @ 3:00 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 9 @ 4:00 p.m.

Twin Cities Public Television MN Channel 2.2

• Sun., Nov. 9 @ 7:30 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 16 @ 1:30 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 16 @ 7:30 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 16 @ 1:30 a.m.

Twin Cities Public Television Life Channel 2.3

• Sun., Nov 16 @ 11:30 a.m.

Preparing for Third Fight, Guard Chaplain Cuts Tresses

Blog-editor's note: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, we were able to point to efforts like the Minnesota National Guard's "Pink Tank Project." This year, we wanted to signal-boost this recent National Guard news release, about an Iraq War veteran who is fighting a third round with breast cancer with faith, humor, and resolve.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Pink is the color of warriors. "Attack!"

*****

"North Carolina chaplain fighting breast cancer on her own terms"
By Staff Sgt. Mary Junell
North Carolina National Guard
Released Oct. 22, 2014

PHOTO: U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

RALEIGH, N.C.—Two weeks ago in Franklinton, North Carolina, National Guard Chaplain Maj. Melissa Culbreth sat laughing and joking in a chair on the front porch of the farm where she works, while her signature red hair was done in five braids.

The porch was full of friends, family and fellow soldiers watching and waiting for the braids to be cut off and collected.

Sgt. 1st Class John Setera, who had deployed to Iraq with Culbreth in 2009, draped a black, plastic hairdresser's cape around her and grabbed the clippers.

As the clippers buzzed, chunks of Culbreth's hair fell down the front of the cape and onto the floor at her feet.

"I wanted to take my hair on my own terms," Culbreth said. "Instead of letting the chemo take it."

This was the second party she has held to shave her head shortly after starting chemotherapy for breast cancer; the first was in March of 2010, when she was less then two months home from a deployment to Iraq with the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

"I’m not sure which is going to be harder,” Culbreth said, "not knowing what is going to happen over the next 18 weeks, or knowing what is going to happen over the next 18 weeks."

Culbreth, who now serves as the brigade chaplain for North Carolina National Guard's 449th Theater Aviation Brigade, began her most recent round of chemotherapy the week before her party. This is her third diagnosis and third round of chemotherapy.

"I know what chemo is like because I’ve done it. To know I’m going to be doing that again, and going through all the side effects. Again. Right now that’s probably the hardest part. At the head-shaving party Culbreth had in 2010, about 17 people shaved their heads to show their support. At this party, four people shaved their heads and many had a strip of their hair dyed pink. Culbreth said she has lost track of the total number of people who were not able to make it to the party who have done the same.

"It's been cool," she said. "It's been people from a girl I went to middle school with and high school with, to soldiers I deployed with to Iraq, to present-day folks that I served with in Charis Foundation and worked with as therapists."

About 30 people gathered at the farm to celebrate Culbreth and support her in her fight, including Sgt. Carrie MacCollum, with the 1132nd Military Police Company, another of the soldiers who deployed with Culbreth in 2009.

"She’s being the boss of the situation," MacCollum said. "She’s not letting cancer beat her, she’s beating cancer. She took it upon herself to shave her head and she’s taking her hair, not cancer. So she’s beating this and we’re all here to support her with that. We’re beating it with her."

Culbreth spent the evening surrounded by her family of friends and soldiers who she draws on for support.

"The military is my family," Culbreth said. "That’s who I have depended on since I got in in 2006. They are my brothers and sisters. I wouldn’t know what to do. Some of the first people I told were buddies that I deployed with. My unit, my brothers and sisters in the guard, my participation in the 30th Infantry Division Association, those are the people I depend on. The whole Guard is family thing seems like a pithy saying, but I’m living proof that it’s more than that, that it's true and it's honest or there wouldn’t be so many people here tonight."

Culbreth has spent eight years in the North Carolina National Guard as a chaplain, being part of the support system for other soldiers. She said that sometimes being a chaplain it feels as if she is invisible, but at the party she realized how many people care.

"Sometimes you feel invisible," she said. “You’re the fire extinguisher; break in case of emergency. When (life gets hard), everybody wants you there, but sometimes you wonder if people notice in the meantime, and the answer to that is yes, because tonight shows people care. And that’s really important to me."