Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Serve.

The Military? Is it Really A Family?
Let me start by saying this is my experience and not everyone goes through this, but this is my story and its time for me to tell it.
By Jasmine Pullom6 years ago in Serve
Pregnancy Separation
Why I Decided to Separate Getting pregnant was not something I had planned (at least for a while). In tech school, I had met someone and we started dating. One thing led to another and two months into seeing each other, I became pregnant. We made the decision to get married because with us both being in the military, we wanted to make sure we’d be able to be together or at the very least stationed in the same state. My husband and I have been through hell and back the past year and a half but we love each other and now have a beautiful baby girl. My husband decided shortly after I left tech school that he was going to transfer in to the Army. He had been trying to retrain but due to policy changes he missed his chance, so after almost five years in the Air Force, he felt the Army was his only chance to pursue his dream job. At the time, I was stationed in Florida and he was in Texas so the long distance thing really sucked (especially being pregnant and hormonal LOL). When he separated from the Air Force he went on terminal leave and moved to FL with me until he left for Army Basic Training (LAME). The Army let him go on leave so he could be with me for the birth of our daughter in December. Fortunately, I was being induced due to my high blood pressure so we had a set date. I had a lot of health issues and scares throughout my pregnancy due to preeclampsia. It was a terrible feeling to not have my husband or family close by and I was constantly worried what if something happens and I have nobody. After having the baby, life was a struggle. Adjusting to a baby is no joke. I struggled so much that I decided to head back home to Massachusetts for 2 of the 3 months of my maternity leave so I could be with my family, as my husband had to return to training. During this time of change, I decided that I needed to research my options. I knew that being stationed with my husband was going to be difficult and I didn’t want to be apart, I needed our family together. I knew that the Air Force had changed their policy so that you could separate either before you have your baby or after (you have 12 months after the baby is born to decide). I really did not want to leave the Air Force. I worked so hard to join and I couldn’t just give it all up. So as many military members do, I went to Reddit for advice. I found out that I could separate and then Palace Front to the Reserves. Palace Front is a little bit different than Palace Chase- Palace Front adds a Guard/Reserves service commitment after you have separated to prevent a break in service. Palace Chase is when you leave your contract early to go to the Guard/Reserves- you are eligible to apply after you have served half of your contract. This ultimately gave me the best of both world; more time to be a mommy and be together with my family, and also still being able to serve part time.
By Nicole 6 years ago in Serve
Korean War and the change in position of the 38th parallel
North Korea is an isolated nation that proclaims its southern neighbor South Korea as its enemy. North Korea blew up its joint liaison office with South Korea on 16 June 2020, in a dramatic and carefully planned display of rancor toward its southern neighbor. Till the end of the Second World War, there was no separate North and South Korea and they were collectively called Korea. In this article, we will see what led to the separation of Korea and the Korean War, which was fought after the separation in detail.
By Siddharth Shankar V6 years ago in Serve
Scars
Corporal James McElroy slowly climbed the front steps of his childhood home in a small midwestern town. The afternoon was bright and sunny and he stopped for a moment to soak in the silence. Well over six feet and broad-shouldered, he filled the doorway. He ran his hand through his short sandy hair and looked down at the battle fatigues he still wore. He was reluctant to go inside the house; reluctant to let his parents know he was home. He had burn scars on his face and torso, and was still healing from several broken bones. So he leaned on his cane and stood quietly for a moment, listening to the world he once knew so well, but which was now completely foreign to him. It was all so surreal, this new/old reality of his.
By Roberta Carly Redford6 years ago in Serve
The Killer's Assistant
On my first date with Mallory, I prayed that she wouldn’t ask me about what I did for a living. “So, what do you do for a living?”
By Eve Berkovich6 years ago in Serve
4 Major Financial Incentives for Military Veterans
Military service is a noble profession, as it often entails risking one’s life for the good of countless others. Even those who perform more genteel roles in the military must survive grueling training in order to graduate boot camp, meaning that no one comes out of military service without some degree of hardship. That’s why the military provides many benefits in return for the hard work and dedication of servicemen and women. Here are just a few benefits you can expect after serving your country.
By Mia Morales6 years ago in Serve
The Wall
Imagine. Living in a world where it feels black and white. One side is all-good where everyone lives their lives the way they choose to. On the dark side, people can’t choose their own path. Constant policing of the state strictly monitors it. Everything they want to do is checked upon and anything they do against the state will be found out and are severely punished. Miroslav sees that on the news every day and feels like everyone else; don't get into everyone’s business. He lives in Munich with his family. A recent college graduate, he feels nothing motivates him and just wants to hang around until he can find a job. And he also feels that he, like many others, doesn't want to get into the whole mess that the two German states are conflicting. But one phone call will change all of that.
By Sergio Romero6 years ago in Serve
Capt. Charles S. Rutherford and a WW1 Masterly Bluff
A character I had the privilege of meeting was Capt. Charles S. Rutherford VC, MC, MM. The alphabet soup after his name is; Victoria Cross, Military Cross and Military Medal. Known as Charlie, he was the only Canadian to have earned all three medals during WW1.
By ShadowsPub 6 years ago in Serve
War Hero
He never thought the war would be like this. A battle not just against the enemy bearing down on you with firepower and manpower, but a battle against the elements. Here on this slope the rain turns dirt into thick mud that clamps around boots, sucking a soldier back and trying to root him in place. It’s gritty, hard to work against, and this soldier has fallen more than once to his knees because of it.
By Lexxie McKenzie6 years ago in Serve
Review | DA 5 BLOODS: Violent, Shakespearean, and Powerful as Hell
Following a group of four black American Vietnam-war veterans, we tread with careful steps through ghostly memories and volatile grounds as the men return to a field they never truly left. With a masterful cast, immersive cinematography, a Hollywood classic soundtrack, and charmingly frank directing, it’s safe to say that Spike Lee has done it again.
By malin evita6 years ago in Serve
Movie Review: 'Da 5 Bloods'
The plagues of the last 60 years of American history come to the fore in Spike Lee’s new movie Da 5 Bloods. The film is a reckoning of the Vietnam war, race relations, the murder of Martin Luther King, and the emptiness of avarice and greed. All of this on display amidst Spike Lee’s virtuoso direction and with a pair of performances from Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman that will leave you breathless.
By Sean Patrick6 years ago in Serve
‘Da 5 Bloods’: A War That Wasn’t Theirs
Spike Lee’s newest feature is an absolute gut-punch. I don’t think any introduction besides that would do Da 5 Bloods justice. Lee’s latest follows four Vietnam veterans, jovial Eddie (Norm Lewis), an often-drunk Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), measured and thoughtful Otis (Clarke Peters), and the wild card Paul (Delroy Lindo). The group travels back to Vietnam to recover the remains of their Bloods squad leader, Norm (Chadwick Boseman), who was killed in action, and also to recover a large fortune of US gold they buried when they were in the war.
By MovieBabble6 years ago in Serve