This is your fault. Well, maybe not yours in particular, but over the years enough people have told me I should write down whatever story I was telling them, I’ve decided to do it. Perhaps I am ill-advised. No matter. Bad advice often leads to interesting stories.
I turned off Rifle River Road onto the snow-covered driveway leading to the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds. Two sets of tire tracks told me I was last to arrive. Following them, I passed a collection of small historic buildings gathered from around the community to form the Antique Village. During Fair Week each August, crowds wanderedContinue reading “To Honor Their Courage and Commitment”
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Adlesperger Hall sat atop a steep hill in the wooded area above Butler Stadium on Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA. Named for LCPL Christopher S. Adlesperger, who, while fighting in Fallujah, Iraq, had single-handedly raced up a stairway under fire and cleared a rooftop in order to shield wounded Marines from further harm, the buildingContinue reading “To Shield and Protect”
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The fine Kuwaiti sand blew around us, settling like a coat of talc on everything it touched. I removed my goggles and tried to wipe the lenses, but my sleeve only added more dust. Parting the flap on the Headquarters tent, Chaplain Ron and I entered, then quickly secured it behind us. A few ofContinue reading “Calling Home”
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Thirty-five members of Alpha Surgical Company stood in the parking lot outside the Medical Battalion’s headquarters building. Clad in dress blues, they were thankful for the early morning muster. At Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the weather is oppressive in August, and they wanted to get on the road before their uniforms wilted.Continue reading “The Homegoing”
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Camp Chesty, on the outskirts of An Numaniyah, occupied a patch of desert the Marines had taken from the Iraqis on 3 April on their way to Baghdad. Part airfield, it hosted the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters and subordinate units, housed in tents. Each unit had its own space, separated from the others byContinue reading “Okay So Far”
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The corpsman whispered, “One of those terrorists is here.” I rounded the corner, expecting to see the face of evil. Young enough to be my son, you lay shackled on a gurney. Face ashen, body not yet man-sized, you looked like one of us. How had you become a threat? Had an elder seen youContinue reading “Front Toward Enemy”
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The sign on the door reads, “Please keep closed. Air conditioning is on.” Entering, it hits me. A kiosk of keychains. We had not been inside a building for months. A shelf of sneakers. Many had lost legs, feet to IEDs and shrapnel. A carousel of chocolate. It’s 130 degrees. Watches. Only if they canContinue reading “Kuwaiti Exchange”
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In the Valley of Elah, two armies faced one another: the army of the Philistines, and the army of the living God. From among the Philistines, a booming voice raised a challenge: “Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.” When the Israelites saw Goliath, the source of that challenge, theyContinue reading “Facing the Philistines”
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There is something in my eye. Sand. Always sand. But this feels bigger than the talc-like stuff that blows around us constantly. I reach behind my left hip, pull the canteen out of its casing, and unscrew the top. Since the 5-ton truck I am riding in has stopped, I move to the tailgate, leanContinue reading “Eyesore”
The commute to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune was short, but once inside, I had five miles of live ordinance range to cross to French Creek, home of the 2nd Medical Battalion. Along the way I passed the gas chamber, where twice a year we donned masks in a toxic environment to ensure readiness. WhenContinue reading “The Same Flight”
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Bender Tales 