LONG HELD STORIES

Fact-based, historical, and informative expositions encompassing World War One, World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan; each exposé is personal, enlightening and humbling; a story of life-experiences told in their own words. Each story is written by a veteran, about veterans.

Be there when a Navy WAVE serving at a hospital caring for our wounded returning from Normandy tells how it really was. That hospital was also an American POW Camp for captured German soldiers.

Feel the emotions of a young Marine as he explains what it was like to be a participant in the Battle for Guadalcanal.
Perhaps let a thirty-year Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant share his story of three combat tours in Vietnam.

Understand the war from the point of view of an infantryman taken prisoner by his German captors but allowed to eat the birthday cake he'd received the day before his capture. And learn what it was like as a Prisoner of War in STALAG XVII-B.

Learn through the eyes of combat infantry soldiers serving in Vietnam, including the TET Offensive.

And more ….  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I am a proud twenty-two-year U.S. Army veteran (1967-1990). I served as an enlisted soldier for more than seven years and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Three, U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps.

I volunteered for service with the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War. My first duty assignment was to Mannheim, West Germany. A Christmas day visit to the Berlin Wall stunned me. I decided to make the Army a career. My military assignments included the 3d Infantry Division, the 4th Infantry Division, the 8th Army, and the Military District of Washington.

I am a graduate of Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas and Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, Texas. My civilian careers included:

Regional Manager and Director for Software Development and Software Training for a Nationally recognized subsidiary of IBM.

Teacher and Adjunct Professor; Managing Director of the Business Studies Division for a Private College.

I remain active in numerous veteran's related programs. I am an advocate for our veterans by supporting worthy programs that honor our active duty and veteran servicemen and women. I am proud to be known as "A Veteran's Veteran".

I participate with:

National POW/MIA Recognition Day
Thomson-Hood Veterans Center awards ceremonies
Assisting veterans in finding employment, housing, medical care, and filing applications for VA benefits.

I am a member of the Association of The United States Army; the American Legion; the United States Army Warrant Officer's Association and the Kentucky Colonels.  

THESE FLAGS

HISTORY AND PATRIOTISM

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I PROUDLY STAND AT ATTENTION AND SALUTE OUR FLAG and all that it symbolizes. My pledge of allegiance is steadfast. I encourage visitors to this website to stand and pledge your allegiance to the greatest nation on earth.

THE MEANING OF THE FOLDING OF THE FLAG at military funerals. Thirteen folds that are patriotic and respectful.

THE POW/MIA FLAG was created for the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia (National League of Families). The flag was officially recognized by the United States Congress in conjunction with the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. For additional information, please visit The National League of POW/MIA Families and Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

PATRIOTISM The word patriotism defines deep-seated love and loyalty for the country. I believe a true patriot appreciates the history of this country and the sacrifices that have been and continue to be made to safeguard our way of life. A patriot also understands the sacrifices all Americans must make to preserve and defend it at all costs. 

The Library

A Soldier's exposition

It all started with a three-hundred-page journal explaining my PTSD - in-depth - to my family so they might better understand me. The original journal was used during a writing therapy program associated with the Veterans Administration counseling of my encounters as a soldier. That journal became the foundation for this book with the goal of helping readers better understand PTSD and wounds that do not bleed by using descriptions and analysis of this debilitating injury.

I was born in a small southeastern Missouri town. I am the first member of my family to have graduated from either high school or college. During my twenty-two-year military career, my assignments exposed me to interesting people, afforded me the opportunity to visit locations around the world, and allowed me to experience numerous cultures.

My army career also subjected a young, uneducated kid (me) to the darker side of life. Along the journey, this book contemplates Wounds That Do Not Bleed and provides opinions and ideas. A Soldier's Exposition is the story of my life experiences and my editorial of the events. While sharing some of my opinions, thoughts, and encounters I hope you will be entertained, saddened, shocked, encouraged, and called to service.

A Soldier's Exposition is focused on trying to engage and provoke the reader to get involved and to speak up. I also want to reach out to active duty military and veteran personnel to provide hope that there is help and that they do not have to walk alone.

If you appreciate pithy, infuriating, maddening, make you think statements on nearly every page, this book is for you. 

a soldier's anthology

You are about to read a book about unpretentious heroes. A Soldier's Anthology is a book written by a veteran, about veterans. It contains enlightening stories from veterans who are "Heroes Amongst Us". Each modestly helped their nation by serving and going where they were told and doing what was needed.

Be there when a Navy WAVE serving at a hospital and caring for our wounded returning from Normandy tells how it really was.
Get to know a jeep driver who never served overseas but was the personal driver for the President's son during the war.
Perhaps feel the emotions of a young Marine as he explains what it was like to be a participant in the Battle for Guadalcanal.
Understand the emotions of war from the point of view of an infantryman taken prisoner but allowed by his German captors to eat the birthday cake he'd received the day before his capture.
Learn what it was like as a Prisoner of War in STALAG XVII-B; walk with him on an eighteen-day march to freedom.

One wintry March afternoon in 2014, I was invited to lunch with a small group of special people. The sacrifices and contributions made by the Veterans and the families in this book, help build the very foundation on which we as free people live today. I am enormously appreciative of the living history lessons given by each participant. No history book ever provided me the insight or personal experiences – in their own words - anything close to the storytelling you are about to read.

During the process of researching and writing A Soldier's Exposition, I was constantly drawn away from that project with thoughts of how I could honor our nation's Veterans, active duty servicemen and servicewomen, and their families. One morning it occurred to me. They needed a forum from which to tell their personal stories; soldier to soldier; Veteran to Veteran; no luster, and no punches pulled; honest, straight forward talk. I knew immediately it was my responsibility to collect and publish their expositions.

It is my goal to provide accounts of the common every day, and remarkable soldier. I consider every soldier, regardless of time in service or place of service, a hero; hence: HEROES AMONGST US.

The exposés you are about to read will be personal, informative, educative, and humbling. 

stand down vietnam

America's entanglement in the Vietnam War was complex. Opinions continue to be debated. For the men and women who served during the Vietnam War era, questions persist.

Why were we there? Why did it end like that?

I believe knowledgeable individuals have an opportunity and a responsibility, to use their critical thinking skills to better comprehend our Vietnam War era participants and therefore, gain an appreciation for their service to our nation.

Using oral and video history story-telling techniques, and individual cultural heritage; the Veterans in this book offer the reader a legacy of first-hand information.

Significant numbers of our nation's Veterans suffer from physical, emotional and other medical conditions, such as PTSD, associated with their military service.

Being wounded or witnessing traumatic events; countless Veterans continue to suffer. Many veterans and active-duty service members struggle with WOUNDS THAT DO NOT BLEED.

The aftermath of experiencing horrific events often becomes suppressed deep within; resulting in memories that remain ensnared. Observing people being injured, wounded or killed during a hostile engagement or while training, turns everything upside down. All that encompasses one's moral character is challenged. This holds true whether in combat, combat service support, or rendering humanitarian aid.

Stand Down Vietnam - Ghosts From The Past is a fact-based, historical, and informative exposition based on individual perspectives of the Vietnam War era and personal accounts of the events.

The principal intent is to provide our Veterans with an opportunity to share their stories with their families and to educate the reader.

Please read, contemplate and get to know each as they revisit their journey through those troubled times, in their own words.

Aristotle once said: "The more you know, the more you know, you don't know." 

sitting by the firehouse pond

Once upon a time, a little boy grew up to become a proud American patriot.

That little boy was born on the kitchen table of a run-down, tin-roofed shack in southeastern Missouri. He is the baby of the family and would be reminded of that fact numerous times during the next seventy-one years. I am that little boy. These are my stories. Sitting By The Firehouse Pond is my elucidation.

My family was dirt-poor. My father was a Veteran of World War II who returned from the war as a mean spirited alcoholic. The Firehouse and the pond gave a scared little boy safety, comfort, and hope.

These short story prose writings include inspired facts; imaginative narratives and recollections of people, things and events I recall from actual participation or from gathering stories from family and other people familiar with the events. Lessons learned sitting by the firehouse pond remain with me to this day. The firehouse provided a safe harbor from which I could escape the everyday events of my early childhood. The firemen provided positive mentoring and the fish provided a diversion.

I am grateful to all those firemen who took this little boy in and protected me from the "stuff" of life.

Please approach the reading of this book for entertainment and enlightenment. It is a fact-based narrative and editorial of what I personally recall; what I have been told by others, and what I believe to be accurate. 

PATRIOTS OF CAMP NELSON NATIONAL CEMETERY

In the tranquillity of Camp Nelson National Cemetery, history echoes through the weathered stones that dot its sacred landscape. Each inscription tells a story of courage, devotion, and sacrifice that weave together the fabric of our nation's past. These stones, more than markers, are poignant chapters in the collective narrative of American identity.
As we walk among the rows of gravestones, we encounter not just names and dates, but profound testaments to the spirit of patriotism that transcends time. Each inscription is a reminder of the individuals who, through their service and sacrifice, upheld the ideals upon which our country was founded.
In Patriots of Camp Nelson National Cemetery, we embark on a journey through the hallowed ground, where seventeen thousand headstones bear witness to the trials, triumphs, and unwavering commitment of those who believed in something greater than themselves. Their stories, etched into these stones, beckon us to honor and remember their enduring legacy.
The phrase "You are not forgotten" transcends mere words; it becomes a pledge, an obligation, and a duty. In visiting places like Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument and Camp Nelson National Cemetery, we engage in an act of historical stewardship, ensuring these sacrifices are honored. Through the enduring phrase "You are not forgotten," we reaffirm our commitment to the memory of those who have given so much for the freedoms we hold dear.
Join me as we delve into the lives of these patriots, whose bravery and resilience continue to inspire. Together, we will uncover the profound impact of their sacrifices and ensure that their stories live on as a testament to the enduring spirit of the American people.
Each page you turn conjures the solemn responsibility we share to witness and honor these sacrifices. With every step deeper into this sanctuary of remembrance, you become part of a living chain of memory.

THE INSCRIPTIONS TELL THEIR STORIES.

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