Army Archives • DAVID G

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WIDOW MAKER: A LOGGER’S NIGHTMARE

April 7, 2024 by David Gillaspie 2 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, boss, cancer, Dad, dying, fool killer, grandma, grandpa, intervention, logger, Marine, Mom, Renaissance Man, stand up, stood up, veterans, widow maker, wife and kids

SAFE DATING OR SIDEWALK SERENADES

March 23, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Safe dating is the goal for everyone brave enough to step out of their comfort zone, get off the couch, and open the front door. Whether long term, short term, husband-wife, blind date, or one of those high school reunion prince and princess things you hear about, safety is paramount. But, if you’re anything like […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: apartment, Army, bad boy, blind date, college, comfort zone, dating, dreams, high school, hopes, husband, love affair, love torch, men, museum, nice girl, NW Portland, one woman, philadelphia, prom, relationship, relationships, safe dating, talk, wife, women

STORY DEVELOPMENT, THURSDAY NIGHT

March 15, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Story development sounds like show business? But it’s more. It’s a revelation in a small group where people learn the ropes from a professional. The pro is Nancy McDonald. Nancy who?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, enlistment, fire bombing, japan, Saipan, story, story development, story teller, story telling, tinian, vietnam era, vietnam vet, vietnam veteran boomer, writer, writers, writing, WWII

CALL THE MEDIC. ALL BETTER?

February 23, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Call the medic when there’s something wrong, anything at all. MEDIC. Right here, pal. Calm down. All better? Good.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, army air force, army medic, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, call the medic, cavity magnetron, education, electrical diagrams, electronics, firebombing, japan, MEDIC, money, philadelphia, radar, research, rich, tinian, travel, writer, writers, writing, WWII

NOW WHAT? GREEN FATIGUE POWER

January 2, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Another year? Now what? I gave the most important Christmas present this year, one that will resonate in eternity, or maybe through January. My two girls got their letterman jacket, their superhero cape, their cloak of invincibility. I broke out the ironing board and starch and scissors and applied them all to this game changer.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, arnold, Baby Boomers, behoove, blog, blogger, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, christmas present, David Gillaspie, education, fitness, green fatigue, kids, millennials, now what, sports, stay strong, strong women, wife, writer, writers, writing

LIFE LESSONS: FIRST DO NO HARM

December 6, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Life lessons start early and never stop. But, and this is a tough one, people do look away. “But Blogger D, aren’t older people a repository of life lessons?” Not always, but who am I to judge? If you need to ask, this might not be the place for you.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Army, army medic, blogger, boomerpdx, caduceus, college, David Gillaspie, do no harm, education, English translation, germany, harm, history, japan, Kurt Vonnegut, latin, life, life lesson, life lessons, MARRIAGE, medical school, mental health, no harm, normal, not normal, writer, writers, writing, WWII

MILLION VETERANS PROGRAM, MVP

November 17, 2023 by David Gillaspie

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 […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: AGENT ORANGE, all volunteer army, America, Army, blogger, David Gillaspie, draft board, education, efficient dexterity, GI Bill, health care, millennials, million veterans program, muhammad Ali, MVP, student loan, the army, travel, veterans, vietnam draft, vietnam era, vietnam veterans, writer

EVERYDAY EVERYMAN FOR THE WIN ON VETERANS DAY

November 11, 2023 by David Gillaspie

An everyday everyman is the goal to strive for. Not average, not ordinary, not basic. Everyman isn’t richer, stronger, or taller, either. Even if they were, you’d never know. Why?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, everyday, everyday everyman, everyman, Michael Jordan, movie star, recipe, sports, sports star, Veterans Day, writer, writers, writing

HOMETOWN WRITERS MISS THE BOAT?

June 22, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Hometown writers miss the boat when they think everything’s been said about where they grew up. Then, to save their careers the turn their focus to their hometown. More like they use a sense of home to lure readers in. Like Thomas Wolfe.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, hometown, hometown writers, Ken Kesey, novels, Oregon, Oregon setting, oregon story, Portland, sports, Thomas Wolfe, writers

ARMY BIRTHDAY? HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARMY

June 14, 2023 by David Gillaspie

The Army birthday is for the oldest branch of military service in America. But you knew this? I didn’t. And I was in the Army.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, army birthday, army war college, happy birthday, military, North Bend, North Bend High School, Oregon, Portland, verbal abuse, volunteer