Veterans

A Few Good Men: Portraits of Homelessness

Daniel Lichtenstein-Boris: The man held a sign on a piece of used cardboard, the word “Hungry” scrawled with a black magic marker. I stopped, and offered him a banana out of my lunch bag. He said he didn’t eat them. I dug into the bag. I had some walnuts and raisins, which I offered. He ate walnuts, and his partner, well, she ate raisins.

9-11: Reality Versus Posturing

Tom Hall: Rudi Giuliani, who now defends the Donald’s denial of global climate change, in 2001 denied the scientific evidence that the attacks caused dangerous air pollution that lingered for months.

Not One Emmy for Ken Burns and “The Vietnam War”

Dave Clennon: Veterans for Peace and ICUJP wanted to reach the American public with their message about the grave shortcomings of “The Vietnam War.”

“F*ck You, I Like Guns”

Anna Bernoulli: The fact is, though, when I went through my marksmanship training in the US Army, I was not learning how to be a competition shooter in the Olympics, or a good hunter. I was being taught how to kill people as efficiently as possible, and that was never a secret.

Is Military Service a Factor in Creating Mass Shooters?

David A. Love: Since 2002, soldiers and veterans have been committing murder individually and in groups, killing wives, girlfriends, children, fellow soldiers, friends, acquaintances, complete strangers, and — in appalling numbers — themselves.

Leave Bowe Bergdahl Alone

Andrew Swetland: The political attack against Obama for “dishonoring the soldiers who died searching for Bergdahl” was built on the central thesis that any soldiers died searching for Bergdahl at all.

Standing Versus Kneeling

WD Ehrhart: When we play the national anthem before sporting events as a sign of “respect,” I wonder just exactly what it is that I’m being asked to respectful?

Going Back—Brothers

When forty years have passed, the distinction between friend and foe may seem less important, or less emotionally true, than the distinction between those who share the secret of war and those who do not.

The Khans and the Masters of War

Sikivu Hutchinson: No matter what the “good” upstanding immigrant/person of color does to meet the litmus test of American patriotism they will never be validated by the dominant culture as human/citizen/hero—especially in times of nativist backlash.

Deported Veterans: Leave No Man Behind

Daniel Torres: Some of the veterans fell on hard times after they were discharged. Others suffered from PTSD, depression, addiction or other psychological wounds that stemmed from their service. Yet few received the help they needed and deserved.

Deported Veterans: Banished from Their Own Country

Lida Dianti: Though they are promised naturalization, far too many U.S. military veterans, who are generally green card holders, never actually naturalize and are subject to deportation if they pick up a criminal conviction when they return home, even if it is just for a misdemeanor offense.

“Support Our Troops”—Or Who Made All That Money from Bumper Stickers and Weapons?

Murray Polner: Soldier suicides and stories of permanently crippled vets have largely vanished from our media, the survivors ignored but for predictable Memorial Day editorials.

First Navy Seals Left Swimming on Their Own

James Rhodes: Larry suffered ear damage from underwater explosions and while at a USO-type facility in Calcutta, Japanese operatives poisoned the beef supply, knowing only foreigners would eat hamburgers.