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The Nature of War | #VeteransVoices from StoryCorps
Not every war memory is about the fighting. Some are about the kids you came to love, and lost.
Who it's for
Veterans often carry memories that don't fit the simple stories civilians expect about war; hearing one told in a calm conversation with a spouse models putting those experiences into words at home.
Feelings it meets
What it is
An animated StoryCorps short, released for Veterans Day 2014 as part of the Military Voices Initiative, in which Army National Guard Specialist Justin Cliburn talks with his wife, Deanne, about his 2005 deployment to Baghdad. While training Iraqi police, he befriended two local boys, Ali and Ahmed, and played games and kicked a soccer ball with them.
Where to find it
YouTube, official StoryCorps channel (free); also on storycorps.org.
Before you start
Heads up: A child killed in a suicide bombing.
Age: Ages 12+
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?Wilfred Owen, Poems, “Anthem for Doomed Youth”
