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Notes from a Veteran

Dan Doyle is a husband, father, grandfather, Vietnam veteran, and retired professor of Humanities at Seattle University.

Latest Notes from a Veteran Articles

The Purple Heart

Jun 17, 2013: It is the most iconic of military awards. It is a medal no one really wants to receive, yet it is the one that is most recognized by veterans and non-veterans alike.

Jun 17, 2013: Over the next month three men who were lost a long time ago in Vietnam and Laos, who were listed among the missing in action, will finally be laid to rest in home ground. Two of these men were with 3rd Recon Battalion, 3rd Marines and were lost in the same incident in June of 1967. One was a Marine, LCpl Merlin Allen, the other, Navy Hospital Corpsman, HM3 Michael Judd. The third man is Major Larry James Hanley, who was shot down over Laos in 1969.

My Personal Experience

Jun 13, 2013: Listen to this Washington State National Guard veteran as she recounts her experiences as an armed security guard in Iraq. She explains what so many veterans know about being alone and lonely when they return to civilian life. The experiences we have had are so outside the realm of our peers back here at home that we often feel isolated and even mis-understood. She talks about what that does to you and how important it is to talk with others.

We Must Remember: 150th Anniversary of The Battle of Gettysburg

Jun 12, 2013: This year, 2013, is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. If you have never been to the battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, this would be the year to plan for it. There will be a live re-enactment of the battle with 15,000 participants taking the parts of both Union and Confederate units. For example, Pickett's charge that came very close to winning the day for the Confederate side will be re-enacted. This was the last full-on, Napoleonic charge in history and one of the bloodiest.

History's Heroes: Spitfire 944

Jun 7, 2013: This is one video you will want to watch over and over again. It is put together by the nephew and grandson of a WWII veteran, Dr. Jim Savage, who served as a medical doctor for a fighter wing out of England during the war. You will learn a lot about him, but the main character in this piece will really get to you. The person focused on in this video flew reconnaissance missions over Germany in a Spitfire fighter plane, but wait until you see what this missions were in that plane.

D-Day Anniversary

Jun 6, 2013: Here are two films covering the events of D-Day. The first one is a simple, brief video in black and white of the landings on D-Day. The second is a rare film in color. They speak eloquently for themselves.

Captain Joseph House: A Retreat for Families of the Fallen

Jun 6, 2013: "The families who have lost loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan form a tiny, at times, isolated fraternity in this nation. They, too, are among the war's wounded, and their toughest struggles often unfold long after the honor guard escorts, funerals and memorial services conclude."

Marine Surprises His Younger Brother

Jun 5, 2013: This is a great reunion story of two brothers. The older brother is a Marine. The younger brother is a basketball player at the University of Illinois. They have been close all of their lives, especially since their father's death when they were much younger. They suffered through poverty together, the older brother, though they are close in age, taking on the role of a father for his younger brother.

The West Point Cadet Prayer

Jun 4, 2013: War is hell. We all know that phrase, and those who have been to hell and back, know the truth of it. It is also true that we human beings have not, as yet, grown up enough morally to do what is necessary to avoid and prevent wars. Wars often come to us unbidden. The reality is that we must sometimes send our young men, and now our young women, off to war to defend the precious gift of freedom that we and all human beings naturally desire.

Sexual Assault in the Military

Jun 3, 2013: I've have hesitated to write about this in the past because I thought that the necessary attention was being paid by the military. We were given that sense by Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, before he left the Defense Department. He gave a great speech about the topic at that time. But it seems that the problem is bigger than we thought; in recent news, two ranking individuals placed in charge of the Air Force training to reduce sexual assault have themselves been caught in sexually compromising situations.

Taps: "The Bugler's Statue: Capturing the Moment"

May 30, 2013: Taps, those haunting notes that fill the air at the end of the day on every military base that brings the day to an end catches us all with its simple, reverent beauty. Those 24 notes wafting over the solemn grounds of a cemetery at a military funeral take us beyond this world, trigger our tears, and fill us with reverence.

A Unique Day of Honor For Local Veterans

May 29, 2013: Last Saturday, May 25, 2013, the remains of twenty-five veterans and one widow were honored in military ceremonies in Bremerton, Washington and then they were escorted by hundreds of motorcyclists, to Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. But there is something else that you need to know about this event over this past Memorial Day weekend.

The "Living Artifact" Mr. Tom Blakely, World War II Veteran

May 28, 2013: If you don't rise early on Sunday mornings to watch CBS Sunday Morning program, you missed this great story about Mr. Tom Blakely, a volunteer 'docent' at the World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. The museum staff call Tom Blakely their "living artifact." There is a good reason for that.

The Path of the Warrior

May 27, 2013: If you watch one video related to Memorial Day that will give you a sense of why we honor those who have fought, and those who have died in dedication to the ideals of freedom and peace, this is the one to watch. I have not the words to describe this video. It will speak eloquently for itself. Grab a tissue and watch it. It says it all.

Third Annual Wounded Warrior 100K Bike Ride

May 25, 2013: This Memorial Day weekend President George W. Bush is holding and participating in the 3rd annual Wounded Warrior Bike Ride. This year 14 wounded warriors from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars will be riding with President Bush in the three day long event.