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WIDOW MAKER: A LOGGER’S NIGHTMARE

My Grandpa on my mom’s side was her step-dad, though as kids we never knew it. Why? Because it didn’t matter. He was married to Grandma and she was a boss. Besides, he was the best choice between the three. One was a yeller, the other was far away, and Grandpa was just right. He […]

UROLOGY WARD FOR THE BASHFUL

Nurse: The urology ward is the last place you want to see in a VA hospital. Blogger: Why is that? Nurse: These are veterans committed to showing big balls and everything that goes along with it. Blogger: Everything that goes along with big balls? Like a tight jockstrap? Nurse: Virility and testosterone. Blogger: I don’t […]

MILLION VETERANS PROGRAM, MVP

The VA sent out a mailer for joining the Million Veterans Program. The MVP is asking veterans to join 940,000 others to help improve health care for veterans. As a veteran of the Gerald Ford Army, the VA sent the request to my address. That alone shows efficient dexterity in such a huge agency. To […]

VETERAN SKILLS ON VETERANS DAY

Veteran skills I like to explain to my wife: We hear everything, but we don’t respond to every little thing. Why? We’re saving up to respond to the big things better. Or, most likely we might be a little deaf and this is an excuse. What did she say?

VETERANS HEALTH FROM THE 1974 ARMY ONWARD

Veterans health came to mind during boot camp at Fort Ord, California. The gas chamber was on the schedule a few days after I was demoted from Platoon Guide, to Squad Leader, to regular army guy. I takes a special soldier to get demoted in boot camp, and I was that guy. It happened twice […]

LATE SIXTIES GATHERING: 500K IN VIETNAM, 400K AT WOODSTOCK

A late Sixties gathering in the air: We would take off at max gross weight 6000 pounds light on fuel. At the first refueling we would fill up to the inflight max gross weight to head North.   Refueling here was a “piece of cake.”  Try it at night and in the weather and was […]

CHEKHOV’S UNLOADED GUN ON THE WALL

After gun safety class, there’s no such thing as an unloaded gun until you check it out yourself. Check the bolt, the magazine, the barrel, and check it while it’s pointed away from anyone. And away from yourself. Chekhov’s unloaded gun is a different deal.

One Job For Veterans Administration To Do. One Job

    No matter your view on the military agenda, I know you all agree that aging veterans deserve some VA love for their service.   If you’ve got a DD214 you’re in the program.   Better yet, if you have orders proving you were where you say you were during Vietnam, you’re in the […]

VETERAN SOLUTIONS FOR VETERAN PROBLEMS

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of veteran problems. The biggest veteran problems come when those who served say, “I didn’t sign up for this.” What is the ‘this’ in “I didn’t sign up for this?” The ‘this’ veterans talk about is the hard part for non-veterans to understand. Even veterans of […]

HOSPICE, A DANGLING CONVERSATION

The borders of our lives. Boomers have heard this more than once, others will hear it more later on: The closer people get to death, the more they drop their facade. There’s no one left to impress, no one left to pretend for, no one to juke. Toward the end it seems we get the […]