Hunter Lu, back toward camera, shares a toast with his mother, father, and grandfather. Photo courtesy of the author.

An Army Interrogator, His Grandfather, and a Bond Across Two Wars 

“My parents, like most Chinese immigrants, valued education as the ultimate achievement,” writes veteran Hunter Lu. “The military was for dumb people.”
Tom Lane’s mom and dad. The older he gets, the more he wishes he had told them what they meant to him. Photo courtesy of the author.

Dad Always Seemed Bigger Than Life. But I Had No Idea There Was a Hero in the Next Room.

As I began to write his obituary for our local newspaper, I realized much of my dad’s life was a mystery to me.
U.S. service members were intentionally exposed to toxic agents, such as nitrogen mustard, during World War II. Photo courtesy of the Naval Research Laboratory.

Exposed: Burn Pits May Force the Military to Acknowledge Generations of Poisoned Veterans

Since World War II, the military has poisoned countless service members through toxic exposures and secret testing.

The Military Gave Her a Shared Sense of Purpose, but the Navy Was Not a Home

Andrea N. Goldstein lost her sense of home when she left home for college and the military. Moving to New York City, she learned to come home to herself.
Lee Herron, left, and David Nelson are commissioned as second lieutenants on June 7, 1967, after graduating from Texas Tech University. Photo courtesy of the author.

A Veteran’s 30-Year Journey to Learn About a Friend Killed During the Vietnam War

For decades, he searched for information about a friend killed during in Vietnam, a journey that ended visiting the gravesite with the Marine’s mother.

I Can’t Afford the Grace of Failure. I’m a Survivor.

The point is to push your boundaries not within the limits of survival but until turbulent failure. This strange new concept sends me on a spiral.
Sean Paul, left, and his gunner charcoaled their faces as Iraq launched scud missiles just after U.S. troops crossed the border. Troops used charcoal as a way to absorb any chemical agents as they donned their gas masks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Note to Self: When They Come for You in the Night, Don’t Give Up. Fight Back. 

Through it all—the good and the bad—always remember you will achieve your goal. Keep your chin up, endure, and always remember: It will be OK.

Echoes Project: The Homecoming

Veronica didn’t want to be at the airport when the Marines returned home from Afghanistan in April 2011.

Because This Moment Simply Is

Kyle Carpenter, a Marine veteran of Afghanistan and Medal of Honor recipient, reflects on the need for hope, humility, and thankfulness on the 15th anniversary of 9/11.