In Your Own Words

The American Legion - August 11, 2011

Media Bakery photo

Over the years, The American Legion Magazine Division has received thousands of submissions from readers wishing to see their original stories and creative work published in the national magazine. Due to space limitations, the vast majority of those submissions were turned down. Now readers have a national American Legion venue to shine.

"In Your Own Words" gives readers a platform to share their personal, creative and historical work, such as books, poetry, music, personal experiences and documentaries. The forum already contains several initial submissions, including Linda McCaffery's story of an Army doctor taken prisoner by the Japanese on the Bataan Peninsula and how his faith and love of a devoted wife never faltered through nearly four years of separation.

Author John O'Brien, a member of John J. Morris American Legion Post 62 in Peoria, Ariz., wrote "The Hardest Job in the U.S. Navy Seabees," which details the time line of his two tours of duty in Vietnam. The forum also includes a heart-warming documentary about Kaziah Hancock, who has painted more than 865 portraits of fallen troops from the Iraq/Afghanistan wars and has given them as gifts to their families.

The American Legion welcomes you to visit the forum, where you can view current submissions, make comments and submit work. Also, we welcome you to submit a brief biography and photo so visitors can know who made the submission. All work - text, photos, art, poetry, etc. - must be original. Participants can include links to web sites or blogs.

Opinions stated within the forum do not necessarily reflect the positions, resolutions or policies of The American Legion or its employees. Nor is their publication an endorsement of those opinions. It is simply a forum for members and others to share their materials. The Legion is not responsible for the content of external websites linked from the forum. Submissions are subject to an editorial review process that may include length reduction, cropping or rejection of submitted material if it is unsuitable. The American Legion, by constitution, also cannot endorse any political party or candidate. Submissions that are deemed inappropriate, unnecessarily inflammatory, offensive, vulgar or pornographic in nature will be rejected. Comments about submissions will also be subject to removal if they are deemed unsuitable by our editors.

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Tell us what you think

Tom Hansen

August 12, 2011 - 12:01pm

I was privileged to follow in my father's footsteps in the SEABEES where I learned the meaning of commitment. I have been a Legionnaire for 39 years having held Post County and District Commanderships, I contribute my success to the lessons learned in the United States Navy Mobile Construction Battalions in Viet Nam and stateside!

Echotango2

September 27, 2011 - 2:38pm

Those who had not been killed
sat
in a circle of chairs,
smoked cartons of cigarettes,
drank
pots of coffee,
lived pain
loud,
deep inside themselves.

Echotango2

September 27, 2011 - 2:47pm

Tired and weakened
from time
old fears leaked more and more
each year.
They shouted and chased
throughout the tall darkness
until
the closeness of death attacked him,
shook him,
woke him,
many times every night
with a loud voice that gathered fear,
stored fear,
long
life's sleep without rest,
without hope,
alone
in a naked stillness.

Echotango2

September 27, 2011 - 2:55pm

He had climbed the mountains
and walked
across the flat
of
Vietnam for more than a year.
Then during
the middle of one hot humid afternoon
he stopped,
dropped his rifle,
slid off his backpack,
and sat down
on the dike of a rice paddy.
His boots in the water,
elbows on his knees,
head in his hands,
he breathed deeply and looked far away.
Someone-in-charge yelled at him,
told him to get up,
to keep moving.

Echotango2

September 27, 2011 - 3:01pm

The NVA was shot up,
blown up,
burned up,
and the exhausted Marines
cheered at their suffering and death.

MSGT0584

October 22, 2011 - 1:41pm

Granite Helmets

Like sculptered sentries, guarding our silenced brave,
Those granite helmets, mark where they are laid.
As I walk through their ranks, I vision the enemies they faced,
From the first to the last, never disgraced.

From these granite helmets, I sense no lament,
Only the cadence of soldiers content.
The season blankets, that cover these graves,
Mute not their deeds, so gallantly made.

The helmets I see, are few to compare,
To many that perished, with no helmets to share.
I may be fortunate, to still trod this sod,
But I know my comrades are marching with God.

When my time comes, my uniform of yore,
Will see its last light, as they close the bronze door.
Knowing that I will be among the elite,
Will give me an edge, when I meet ole' St. Pete.

So etch me a helmet, and save me a place,
To sleep with my buddies, forever in grace.
The sound of taps, from the bugler above,
Will be my final farewell, from the country I love.

Joe Maddox
MSgt. USA