Joe Barrera In the nostalgia time that comes at the end of December every year I remember my past life and what that past means for me now. In this town full of military veterans I think a lot about my Army life, the combat I saw in the Vietnam War, the long twisting road I have walked since I came home from the war, and the many other veterans who have walked that road with me. Christmas time is a powerfully special time, making every memory more real, making every reliving

The explosions wake me up at night. I'm back in the war. I almost roll off the bed to lie on the floor.The enemy is at it again. Mortar rounds. Then a shriek, a blast as the 75mm recoilless rifle round lands close. I'm caught in the open, in between waking and dreaming. It only lasts a moment. I wake up. I remember. It's the preliminaries for the 4th of July. Bottle rockets and the thick firecrackers that look like sticks of dynamite. Fireworks, just fireworks. The neighborh

Even though I’m thousand of miles away from you I cry for you Kyiv Even though I was not born in your wonderful city I cry for you Kyiv Even though I can’t fire a rifle for you I cry for you Kyiv Even though I can’t stop the damn Russian tanks I cry for you Kyiv Even though they bombard you and may conquer you