Retire the Colors: Veterans & Civilians on Iraq & Afghanistan
The impact of war, and the complex aftereffect it has on both veterans and civilians, is--for myriad reasons--largely invisible to the public. Media may create news cycles around horrors or stereotypes, but the effort required to redefine and sustain ''normal'' lives after war stays below the surface and out of sight.
In Retire the Colors, nineteen thought-provoking stories by veterans and civilians consider the residual effects of Iraq and Afghanistan. A pacifist describes her decision to accompany her husband, an Iraq veteran, to the shooting range. A hospital worker in Mosul talks about what happens on a hunting trip back home with his grandfather. Two friends--one civilian one veteran--run an ultramarathon together. The wife of a combat medic considers their unusual nighttime routines. A mother and former 50 cal gunner navigates truth and lies with her children.
These stories offer a grace uncommon in war literature today. They also make an appeal to readers: to witness with compassion the men and women who--because of war--possess the strength to show us what it means to be fully human.
Contributors include: Tahani Alsandook, Joseph R. Bawden, Brian Castner, David Chrisinger, David P. Ervin, Teresa Fazio, CH Guise, Colin D. Halloran, Lauren Kay Halloran, Matthew J. Hefti, Brooke King, Randy Leonard, Eva KL Miller, Stewart Moss, Caitlin Pendola, Mark Solheim, Richard Allen Smith, Christopher Stowe, and Melissa Walker.
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"My initial reaction was that there couldn't be anything new or interesting here, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I can't recommend this book enough." -J.A. Moad II, Consequence Magazine ..".provides civilians a glimpse of why and how our loved ones seem transformed into people we no longer know upon their return. These stories give readers an opportunity to view our returning combat veterans with more compassion, especially when their bodies remain at home with us but their minds continue to fight on elsewhere." -jmww, literary journal "While Retire the Colors might attempt to do too much, it begins multiple conversations that must be continued throughout the next decade and beyond." -Rain Taxi, Winter 2016 "Retire the Colors is a surprising gift of a book, a gift of generosity from writers who are truly trying to understand the folks around them and to help you understand them, too. If only we all worked towards a dialogue this way." -Andria Williams (Navy), Military Spouse Book Review "Superb. These are the kinds of behind-the-scenes stories every American should know about." -Andrew Carroll, editor of the New York Times bestsellers War Letters and Behind the Lines "These stories are masterfully rendered, illustrating resiliency and an innate creative longing to make sense. There's not a single throw-away in this entire collection." -Tracy Crow, Eyes Right: Confessions from a Woman Marine "We often see bumper stickers proclaiming that the troops are supported, but it's impossible to support without understanding a veteran's experience. The stories will help anyone gain insight into what it is like to go to war, and what supporting a service member looks like at the closest level." -Kelly Kennedy, award-winning journalist and author, They Fought for Each Other: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Hardest Hit Unit in Iraq
