I’ve prayed so much that her life would straighten itself out – the more I think of it the more I feel it is possible her war experience unconsciously to her was eating out her vitals – how tragic life is for the world. Henry O. Philips, January 23, 1943 Written by my grandfather, a …
Kerosene Scrub down
Historical/Generational trauma are terms we often hear linked to government boarding schools that were designed to assimilate Native American children to our European immigrant culture. While researching a project I’m working on, the term “kerosene bath” popped up several times. An example, “[Native] Children were … cleansed with alcohol, kerosene, and synthetic pesticides.” From https://www.midwesternstoriesbsu.com/people …
Interview on Vietnam War Books That Influenced Me
More than five decades ago I patrolled the rivers of Vietnam. Four decades later, I told my stories. I was recently invited to participate in an interview about Vietnam War literature that influenced me. The top five books t are listed, but there were also countless other narratives that I learned from, including the World …
Cost of War MUDDY JUNGLE RIVERS–Epilogue
23 years ago, “Buddha” Ed Thomas died alone in an isolated cabin in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We had lost contact 31 years earlier when I was medevac’d out of an ambush during our Vietnam adventure. Through a series of events, we had reconnected a few years before he died. I came to realize that if …
Borderline Personality Disorder and the Heard-Depp Lawsuit
Like Amber Heard, my mother had Borderline Personality Disorder. Even as a victim of her abuse, my feelings are complicated.
Coming Soon
Its been a long haul since the first discoveries in 2010 after my mother died. Later this summer “BARBARA, Uncharted Course Through Borderline Personality Disorder” will be in bookstores and available on-line. Here is an excerpt, “From the Author.”Two years ago, I thought I was close to completion on my BARBARA story, but an amazing …
My New-Found Family Visits Minnesota
My new-found brother, Louis and his wife Patty recently spent time with us her in the Bemidji area. It was a wonderful week not to be forgotten. Visit these links for a great interview Dennis Doeden with the Bemidji Pioneer did: https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/4699087-Finding-his-roots-Bemidji-man-connects-with-half-siblings-through-DNA-testing Malaak Khattab a reporter with Lakeland PBS did a wonderful job interviewing us. …
DNA Miracle: Discovering My Father, 72 Years Later
Tomorrow morning, June 14, 2019, I set off on a journey that began in New York the early winter of 1947. Questions from a lecture by my friend, Professor Mark Christensen haunt me as I pack my suitcase and map my route: What is my state of mind before I leave? Am I on a …
The Path Taken
Almost twenty years ago when I retired I knew I had stories to tell. I began studying the writing craft at Bemidji State University. Muddy Jungle Rivers, A Vietnam War Memoir, was published in 2012. Since then I have spoken at dozens of book signings and other events. The most humbling experience is to listen …
World War I Student Essay Program
My grandparents, 1915, my grandmother, a Vassar College Student, and my grandfather in his Williams College ROTC uniform. This past Veterans Day I was invited to speak at an area school. I could not because of a schedule conflict. Bemidji School Superintendent Tim Lutz and I started visiting about Veterans Day 2018, the 100th anniversary …