Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Serve.
Best Veterans Day Movies of All Time
Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11 in the United States and serves to honor all those who have served in the US Armed Forces. This holiday originated as Armistice Day (a holiday still celebrated in many countries), which marked the anniversary of the Armistice with Germany that ended World War I. Since 1954, Armistice Day was officially renamed Veterans Day in the US. Since many workers and students have Veterans Day off, it is a good day for celebration in honor of the many men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces (as well as those still on active duty). One easy way to observe Veterans Day is to pick out a war movie or two to watch in observance of the holiday. To help you choose, here are 10 Veterans Day movies to help you honor those who have served our country.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick7 years ago in Serve
Big Chicken Dinner
In shackles and a brown jumpsuit, Davidson Post stood before the Judge Advocate General (JAG), Air Force Colonel Nathan Speight. Post looked disheveled and disoriented. It was if his face began to melt to the floor he was so slack jawed. He leaned slightly to the right.
By Skyler Saunders7 years ago in Serve
Butter Bar
Davidson Post, second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps just received his uniforms from the dry cleaners. Immaculate and starched to perfection, the garments remained gems. He laid out the officer's Blue Dress "A" uniform on his rack. He took a look at the single gold bars in a bag that sat beside the uniform. He wrestled with the thought, “What if?” What if he just jumped up about nine ranks and donned the silver stars, four of them to be exact. Then he could command respect. He encountered enlisted staff non-commissioned officers (SNCOs) who, based on their billets, could reprimand him and call him a "butter bar" behind his back. Sure, they saluted him, but that was only out of customs and courtesies. If they had the choice, they would breeze by without rendering the sign of admiration and solemnity. He wanted to change all of that.
By Skyler Saunders7 years ago in Serve
10 Surprising Facts About Life in the British Military
The British military is one of the oldest organized group of soldiers out there. They have fought in countless wars and protected their nation valiantly against any harm or threat. Most of these soldiers are known for being stoic and fierce, but life in the British military wasn’t always as easy as it might be considered today. There are crazy historical facts about what the military used to have to do that will surprise nearly anyone, but maybe none more so than those who live in the United Kingdom.
By Bill Shaffir7 years ago in Serve
10 Books About WWI That Will Make You Think
In today's society, people are too often ignorant of certain historical events of great significance. While pop culture has heavily analyzed World War II—among other wars in American history (even that of today's ongoing war in the Middle East with many must read books about the war in Afghanistan)—in film, literature, and television, they have paid considerably less tribute to World War I. Though it was an incredibly important event in its own right, many people simply see it as the prequel to World War II. Those same people likely are unaware that, in its time, World War I was known as the Great War, or that the spread of the so called "Spanish Flu," worsened by the war, was one of the deadliest epidemics in recorded history (far deadlier than the war itself). However, if you wish to learn more about this critical event in world history, there are still many books about WWI that cover every aspect of the war from trench warfare, to dogfights in the sky, and much more.
By Fred Eugene Park7 years ago in Serve
The History of the Rebel Yell
I don't know whether to thank or admonish Billy Idol for his hit, new wave album Rebel Yell. Sure, he ensured that the term "rebel yell" exists at the forefront of the American lexicon for a few more years, but now we run the risk of people thinking of "rebel yell" as merely an artifact of the 80s. The original rebel yell is actually an important—but often overlooked—piece of cultural history from the Civil War. Learning the history of the rebel yell is important if you want to gain a fuller understanding of the Civil War and the cultural history of the American south.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick7 years ago in Serve
'All Quiet on the Western Front'—Food for Sustenance
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, is considered the greatest war novel of all time. The perspective of the story takes place from a soldier on the enemy side of World War I. Readers get to walk through the life of a young soldier, Paul, on his perspective of the events of the war. Paul and many other soldiers go through the difficulties of war as they face many near-death experiences. This book really shows how war can eat away someone's sanity through the traumatizing effects when watching your friends die and killing a person who you don’t even know. This affects Paul the most because he doesn’t know how to put his feelings into words. As the events go by in the story, rather than staying at home with his family, Paul would rather be in the war fighting so he can ignore his feelings and thoughts. This section in the book makes one wonder if all the soldiers felt this way. The soldiers don’t have much of anything in the war to make them happy, but a quote which stands out from the story is, “Now they have the two things a soldier needs for contentment, good food and good rest” (138). A soldier never get much food and it’s amazing the soldiers ever get to eat. Food for sustenance is a very important theme in the story of All Quiet on the Western Front and it becomes a major aspect of the soldier's lives while they fight.
By Marielle Sabbag7 years ago in Serve
The Burning of Bedford and the Local Collector who Holds Two Brown Bess Rifles that Were Present
236 years have passed since the war for American independence ended. Far from the foregone conclusion that history implies, the collective remembrance we accept plays more like a quaint little 18th Century affair than the win at all cost reality. On one end, the perception lines up gentlemanly British troops in coats of bright red who fail to understand the guerrilla tactics of modern warfare. And on the other stand rugged backwoods boy scout types who were taking their first turn at playing soldier.
By Rich Monetti7 years ago in Serve
