POSTED 10-26-09

$ “GUADALCANAL” During six months of bloody battles on land and sea, WWII American forces fought to win control of Guadalcanal, a tiny member of the Solomon Islands archipelago. Navaho Codetalkers were essential to the ultimate success of the mission to capture a tiny airfield built by the Japanese. From August 7, 1942 through February 1943, the battle raged on. “On October 24, 1942, at Matanikau River on the island of Guadalcanal, Japan lost 1000 of 5600 troops in a single night attack. Marines held their line of defense protecting Henderson Field - that hard won and tiny Japanese airfield. Lewis "Chesty" Puller, a cousin of George Patton, and a Marine who rose within the ranks from private to general, fought in the front lines with his men. Soon a common ending was attached to Marines’ prayers everywhere: ‘Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.’ ‘Manila’ John Basilone, Marine gunny sergeant, held a machine gun until his hands blistered, ran 200 yards for more ammunition, killed 38 enemy, and became the first Marine to win the Medal of Honor in WWII. Basilone would later be killed by a mortar round at Iwo Jima, dead at age 27” (Quoted from http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2timeline/Pacific04.html). In these days of war, peace is but a distant dream and ghosts are newly minted by the minute. Politicians fight and accomplish little. Governments argue and cost much. And yet, in the hills of Afghanistan and the plains of Iraq, military men and women serving their country, their government and their people maintain allegiance to the history of this day by honoring those who went before them with a willingness to give their all to uphold Truth, Freedom, and Justice. These men and women who fight our battles ask for nothing except the opportunity to serve. They expect no thanks, no gratitude - they don’t even expect understanding. In return for all they give, these men and women know the taste of Honor, Valor, and Glory, a feast known only to the warriors and the ghosts of battles past. War is for the young. Remembrance is the Old Warrior’s lament. Ghosts come and go. War knows no end. Thank God for the men and women willing to fight for us all. NONFICTION A HORSE SOLDIER’S TALE featuring the adventures of jack hope MILQUEST ten questions - two hours jack hope accepts the mission EPILOGUE FOR A LOST MARINE BY KEVIN CULLEN boston globe columnist / October 22, 2009 “He left Neponset for the Marines in 1937, right out of high school, and never came back. He was stationed in China when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and then went to the Philippines and was there when the Japanese invaded. After the battle of Corregidor in 1942, the Japanese took him prisoner.” AN EVENING WITH MY D.I. BY JOHN C. STEVENS III Expectation and reality go toe-to-toe when a recruit meets his D.I. decades after graduation. milspeak presents MCWS 10 GUEST WRITER JOHN C. STEVENS III 14-PART YOUTUBE SERIES Author of Court-Martial at Parris Island: The Ribbon Creek Incident, speaks to Milspeak Creative Writing Seminar 10 participants on September 26, 2009, about writing, publishing, and marketing his book, as well as the experience of conducting extensive research and interviews with survivors, including the only extensive interview conducted with SSgt Matthew McKeon. A LONG NIGHT AND NO SALTY DOG MEMOIR BY BILL SAMMONS, VIETNAM VETERAN “Since I was a NORDO (no radio), I followed Sully down on the approach and blinked my lights to let him know when I visually picked up the Meatball of the optical landing system. All went smoothly as I touched down on what I was sure was an “OK 3” wire. I cobbed it to 100% and waited for the reassuring tug of 19 transverse G’s as my hook reeled out that old #3 wire. But Whoa!!” FICTION THE BRIEFING BY CASEY CAVANAUGH POETRY 3:30 a.m. NARRATIVE POETRY FROM ALAN TESARO A MOTHER’S WAR MARITZA RIVERA COHEN “Handmade books of A Mother's War will debut on Veterans Day at The Memorial Day Writer's Project tent next to the Vietnam Memorial in DC. The books are designed to be symbolic and sensory. The 12 individual pages are distressed and frayed and represent all the shades of the desert; the covers are folder style and hand stitched that have the texture of sandpaper which required letterpress printing. Each book has an appliqued heart on the cover that was cut out from one of the desert cammo uniforms that my son wore while serving in Iraq. I can't tell you what a labor of love it has been to make these. This project spoke to everyone who worked on it and was both a challenge and source of pride. Pyramid Atlantic is a paper making and artist's book non-profit that I worked with to get these done. They are a signed and numbered, limited edition of only 50 copies and will cost $40.00 each. No two books are alike and hopefully will be well received. The Memorial Day Writer's Project meets by the Vietnam Memorial every Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Veterans who are artists, poets, writers and singers are welcomed to stop by share their work with the public and each other. PLUS TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY MILSPEAK ANTHOLOGY SIGNING featuring editor sally drumm and milspeak writer moe haagensen “cherry blossom time” & “just breathe” thursday october 29 1100-1400 books-a-million 1250 western blvd. jacksonville , north carolina “If the words honor, nobility, self-sacrifice, and altruism mean anything to you, this is the book to buy.” --Stephen Page-- BA Insider: Capital Living in Buenos Aires YOUR PURCHASE OF THE ANTHOLOGY HELPS FUND THE MILSPEAK FOUNDATION MISSION AND HELPS KEEP MILSPEAK PROGRAMS FREE TO PARTICIPANTS. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MILSPEAK FOUNDATION. Contributors retain all rights to their works. ©2009 MILSPEAK FOUNDATION OOHRAH! PRODUCTIONS MILSPEAK MEMO NOW INCLUDED IN POETS & WRITERS LITERARY MAGAZINE LIST! SEND LETTERS TO THE COMPILER\\\ KUDOSORKRAP@MILSPEAK.ORG END OF POST V5.10-24-09$ shapeimage_2_link_0