Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Serve.
Eisenhower, statistics, and business continuity
This morning, my supervisor sent us an email with the following quote, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” The quote, found on Quote Investigator, attributed the foundation of this message to Dwight D. Eisenhower, explaining that “rigid, premade plans were often useless in conflict. It is the practice of developing plans, and backup plans, and exploring all the options that is of greatest value.” While Eisenhower was referring to war, and my supervisor was referring to software testing, my mind goes to my grad school days where we talked about disaster planning.
By Rachel L. Reges5 years ago in Serve
February 13, 1945
This was 20 year old Staff Sergeant Frank McManus, Crew Chief of one of the ordinance crews in the 601st Squadron of the 398th Bomb Group assigned to airbase “Station 131” in Nuthampstead, England from April, 1943 through June, 1945. Frank was my Dad. I was born in 1960, the youngest of four kids and never knew anything about his war experiences. It wasn’t until decades later that I pieced together the story of what my Dad did for the Army Air Corps — the forerunner of the 8th Air Force.
By Steve McManus5 years ago in Serve
Choosing Belleville Athletic Boots for Rigorous Training
When you are training, there are so many things that contribute to its effectiveness. From wearing the right outfit to the right pair of shoes for the job, everything matters. This means if you are wearing the wrong shoes during your training, range, or garrison use, the effectiveness of the entire routine may get diminished and, in some cases, may also lead to an injury. For instance, if you are wearing a shoe or boot with treads thinner than expected for your next hike, the chance of getting a twisted ankle will greatly increase. Due to these reasons, experts agree that choosing the right athletic training boots is as important as the training or workout regime you are following. And what’s better than a Belleville when you are talking about training athletic boots!
By kit marketing5 years ago in Serve
Going Home
I am a very weary soldier. We have been through hell and back these last two interminable years fighting for king and country. Now the war is over, and we are slowly making our way back home. I cannot help but think of a couple of stanzas of the song Going Home.
By Dale Sands5 years ago in Serve
Best Friends
James Levy sat at the folding card table that he used to eat his meals, read, and write. A stack of seven legal pads with clean, crisp white pages sat in the top left corner of the table, nestled against the wall. James used the pads for everything: journaling, therapy notes, gratitude lists, and incomplete stories. Seven ball point pens with black ink waited their turn in a dingy coffee mug next to the legal pads. The banker's box under the table housed hundreds of pages of James’ writing, organized by subject and date. A pocket-sized black Moleskin notebook was open to a handwritten page titled “Week of 12/11/16.” Today was Sunday. His sole obligation was to get groceries.
By Takeia R. Johnson5 years ago in Serve
The Surly Bonds that Bind Us. Top Story - March 2021.
Present Day Southampton College, South Meeting Room To the untrained eye, the man walking across the small stage carried an air of quiescent unworthiness rather than one of significance. As he walked people turned to stare, wondering and whispering quietly as they tried to remember where they had seen him before. Yet not only were the attendees ignorant as to his identity they were equally unaware of why exactly they had been invited (bribed really given the free booze) to the event in the first place.
By Prometheus Wojtisniewskie5 years ago in Serve
The Murder of Xalapa (Part I)
The most beautiful man of the English-speaking world is about to do the unthinkable. He is quite mad, but he is more sad than angry. He is tall and has the perfect tan sin of the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea. He just lost a good friend and his first friend, Mr. Yépez.
By Arnoldo Alonso5 years ago in Serve
Home Too Soon
In my short adult life I've been known as many things. A mistake, a blessing, a compeer, corrival. The love of someone's life, nothing... a beggar, a thrull, half live or partially undead. living off the bits and pieces from the few civilized who chose to spare it. Hunger pangs rock me in an out of sleep, like an angler's line on an empty tarn. "These train carts sleep a lot better when ain't nobody on em". I heard in the distance Another exclaimed as he adjusted himself in recumbency. Homelessness mustn't suit me well I thought, 7 months in and My pride still thwarts my reality. Unfamiliar with the uncertainties each night brings, let alone the encroaching city air; a nightly reminder that i'm not at "home". Wherever home is. A veteran, not gone long enough to be a hero, home before it was okay to be forgotten. Here I sit. Existing In a non essential existence. "Existing"I glanced one eye to see 8bit sand draining from the digit hourglass on the platform display. "This is home for the night." I told myself as The hour neared 3am I found safety in that thought.
By Devin Moore5 years ago in Serve
