The photo is of Sgt. Major Lewis H. Douglass, survivor of the battle of Fort Wagner, who never complained about his pension but did observe,long before he became outspoken against the next war, that the supposed unity of the “Grand Army of the Republic” —given the differing treatment of black and white veterans groups —Continue reading “For black soldiers, the wound goes that far back”
Category Archives: race
Nashville tea party? Not.
I wake up and the ‘nets are buzzing with a speech last night made in Nashville by that shapeshifter from Alaska (Governor? Talk show host? Avatar?). But another quiet buzz came in a report about another Battle of Nashville, one that was hardly a tea party. Unsurprisingly, it’s from a Fort Campbell-oriented paper, Clarksville Leaf-Courier, aboutContinue reading “Nashville tea party? Not.”
take a moment first
Right now I’m working on a post about today’s news, but until I post it, I think it’s crucial to honor the giants one more time — in this case, Howard Zinn. Check out Daniel Ellsberg, like Zinn a hero of my book, telling stories about getting arrested with Zinn in protest of the VietnamContinue reading “take a moment first”
what we write about when we write about war
My current bookshelf is weirdly focused. The collection might seem a bit scary, if you didn’t know I was writing a book. (“What kind of obsessed veteran lives here?”) When you know, some of what’s here might then seem obvious: David Cortright’s Soldiers in Revolt, Kingston’s Veterans of Peace anthology, the trauma stuff ( JonathanContinue reading “what we write about when we write about war”
I Ain't Marching Anymore 