A World War II soldier and a Marine walk into a bar. Over drinks, the two veterans discuss how to truly return home after war: Never stop serving others.
Andrew van Wey
Andrew van Wey, “Van” to friends, was born in Dallas, Texas. He joined the Marine Corps in 1998 and was assigned to 3rd Bn 6th Marine Regiment, where he served during peacetime for the majority of his first enlistment. He embarked on the maiden voyage of the USS Bataan and afterward endured a stint in Correctional Custody Unit making big rocks into little rocks.
After 9/11, he became well acquainted with the fact that they served bread and water in the brig of the USS Bataan. He also completed a combat tour in Afghanistan with Task Force 58 and was known as “The man who knows how to get things.” He was honorably discharged in 2002.
In 2003, he was recalled and served (under duress) for about six months at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort as a hated MP.
In 2004, he was recalled again and served with 1st Bn 7th Marine Regiment in Husaybah, Iraq, on the Syrian border. In 2005, he was honorably discharged for the third and final time from the Marine Corps and was (somehow) awarded a Good Conduct Medal. He now writes war and crime stories because he thinks he’s Mickey Spillane.
Posted inReflections
“They Didn’t Make It?”—When Your Brother’s Homecoming Starts in a Burn Ward
After an IED exploded in Iraq, a badly burned Marine asks his brother if his teammates survived. “He knows I won’t lie to him. We are both warriors.”
