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Most recently published stories in Serve.
The First Day Of US Army Basic Training
Article #6 First Day of Basic Training At Fort Knox, Kentucky The summer of 2006 was when I went to Basic Training to join the United States Army and transition from civilian to becoming a soldier. My first day of basic training was having all my issued uniform and fitting all of it in my two duffle bags. So I had one duffle bag on my back and one in the front. It wasn't like any other while waiting for training to start. Everyone was anxious, it didn't matter if you had experience, young, old, we were all considered recruits, and were treated the same by the Drill Sergeants.
By Veteran / LEO Served5 years ago in Serve
Son
"You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning." I look up from the grave which sat right underneath a big beautiful willow tree, seeing my sister walking toward me and stopping not even three feet away. She looks at me and then down at the grave.
By Sunshine rayray5 years ago in Serve
RAF Days part 2
My adventures at RAF Cosford in early 1970 continue with anoither excerpt from my biography 'Do or do not". 404 entry were a smaller group, and seemed to be a lot more amicable which suited me as 217 had a few unsavoury characters. Military life is designed to be uncomfortable in order to mould you in the image they want you to be, and that includes marching you up and down a parade ground many hours a week, insisting that your boots and brasses are shiny, uniform razor sharply pressed and your hair short and neat with NO whiskers showing through. At least once a week you’d be on your hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom, corridors and polishing the wooden floors of the billet. Every morning you had to make your bedding into a specific exhibition that the billet corporal would inspect, and you would be personally checked on parade by Sgt Geraghty who enjoyed such little comments as “Did you use a mirror when you shaved this morning lad?”, “Yes Sergeant”, “Well next time use a razor it’s sharper”, and the classic from behind “Is your hair hurting you Davies?” “No sergeant”, “Well it should be I’m bloody standing on it”. Being honest these guys were chicken feed compared to the US Boot Camp Drill Sergeants, but my 16 year old mind didn’t enjoy it so much as I wanted to concentrate on the subjects.
By Len Davies5 years ago in Serve
The Moon's Permission
All things considered, Gael did not feel like a lawyer. He felt like a fraud. These weren’t feelings he could listen to when Jack was present. If he lost Jack’s respect, he’d have lost everything. Sitting there in that cab on the way to the jail to meet his first serious criminal, nay, capital case, he wished very much for a flask of whiskey that Jack hadn’t done away with already. Damn choirboy.
By Duointherain5 years ago in Serve
RAF Days
I had decided from a very early age that I wanted to join the Royal Air Force, and from the age of 13 I served with 30F squadron of the Air Training Corps in Ely, Cardiff (my home town). While my parents were away on summer holiday in 1969 I signed up and left school at Christmas that year. Here's a segment about the first days from my biography "Do or do not".
By Len Davies5 years ago in Serve
The soldier's heart
My adopted father served in the 29th Brigade, 47th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Military Forces, in World War II, and never spoke much about his six years in the army. Since his passing, I have done much research at the Australian War Memorial, to get a better understanding of his history and his service. There is a memorial plaque, at the AWM, for the 29th Brigade, and I wept when I saw it. My adopted father had actually told me quite a lot about his war; I didn't realise it until I saw that memorial plaque, and the Brigade motto:
By Lee-Anne Ford5 years ago in Serve
The Day I Left For US Army Basic Training
Article #5 The Day I Left For US Army Basic Training In this is article, I will talk about the day I left for Basic Training and the few days I was in Basic prior to actually getting to my actual Company which was D 1/46 At Fort Knox, Kentucky. I still remember when I left, my recruiter came to pick me up at my house, I said my good-byes to my family. As, my recruiter drove off, I was anxious and nervous as a 18 year old, who never really done anything in life. I knew, I had to join he military to serve my country and hopefully reach my goals in life. It was the right decision because I was able to get out after 4 years, work in Law Enforcement, and finish my college degree. To have my short military career under my belt, I was able to apply what I have learned in the military into my civilian life and law enforcement career. To this day, I have no to regrets.
By Veteran / LEO Served5 years ago in Serve
Poppycock!
Last week, here in the UK, I saw a social media post that sarcastically anticipated the onset of poppy-themed face coverings in the UK, as if such things were something to sneer at. And, even though I understand the various issues the writer has with poppies, I found it quite a condescending and deeply ignorant statement, if I'm honest, and an example of the yearly culture war that goes on every year, centred on the wearing of poppies/not wearing of poppies/colour of poppy warn/attitude to war etc.
By Matty Long5 years ago in Serve
