Stories from people like you help this site grow. We've gathered a selection of some of the most interesting, poignant and provocative poems, essays, songs and memories that people have shared with us. Please feel free to share your thoughts on each piece, and go to the "Share Your Story" section to add your own.
I am a veteran of the Vietnam era. It does not matter which branch of military I served. They are all the same. Personally, I am ashamed of my veteran status. Every military personnel I see (self included) reminds me... read more »
I happened upon a tree struck by lighting; the aftermath of a wild and violent thing. A tree split in half. How do we come upon such things? What happened here? I have seen men and women split in... read more »
Luis Carlos Montalván's poem about what it's like to return home. read more »
Think back to the mid-'90s when the Web was young. It was a world without Twitter, Facebook or FriendFeed — long before social media became a household term — a time when Web 2.0 was, say, Web 0.2. read more »
In March of 1968, just weeks after the Tet offensive, I was flying down to Columbia, S.C. to visit a friend. My flight took me from Toronto to Detroit, to Kentucky, and on to Atlanta and Columbia. At the... read more »
To My Siblings: *** You didn't know him before he went over there. You don't remember how fun he was, or how much he loved to play with kids. You don't remember the man who told mom he loved... read more »
Since being discharged in the late '60s, I have either been unemployed or underemployed. This status has taken an emotional toll which I would not wish on anyone. On the credit side, I have remained faithfully married, put our... read more »
My Brother, Ralph "Bill" William Hoffman died in July 1987 in the University of Pittsburgh medical research hospital. He was chronically ill with aplastic anemia secondary to chemical contamination. His death was the most tragic event that I had... read more »
My dad went to Vietnam in the winter of 1969. He'd been gone at something called the Air War College for several months prior to that. I don't even like to think about what they taught him there. I... read more »
One of 10 thousand memories... First patrol. My unit landed in Vietnam in July of 1967. We were immediately bagged off to a defensive area outside of DaNang to relieve the 4th Marines who were participating in Operation Hastings.... read more »
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