End of the Semester Thoughts

Wow, the final post. The end of the semester is here. We have been through so many wars and battle of different sorts during the last sixteen weeks. We experienced running away from battle with Henry Fleming in The Red Badge of Courage, we were horrified as Editha guilt-tripped her fiancee into going into battle and angry when he died, we went through the mental battle of Stanley vs. Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, all while dealing with the struggles of our own lives. In some of these stories, the hero succeeded--in some, they didn't. As we leave the world of Ivy Tech and American Literature (although as long as we're reading, we never truly leave it...so keep reading!!!), some of you for good, keep these characters in mind. What did they teach you? Did they show you how to act or how not to act? What was the author's intention behind the story?


I hope you all go on to succeed in whatever you set out to do. Don't give up especially when it seems impossible. Congratulations to the graduates! You did it! It's been a joy to be in the same class and learn from your discussion board posts and talk with you over Blackboard IM. Thank you all for a great semester!

American Sniper

Recently a movie was released called "American Sniper." It was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the American Sniper. Here is a storyline I got from IMDB (International Movie Database):


Chris Kyle was nothing more than a Texan man who wanted to become a cowboy, but in his thirties he found out that maybe his life needed something different, something where he could express his real talent, something that could help America in its fight against terrorism. So he joined the SEALs in order to become a sniper. After marrying, Kyle and the other members of the team are called for their first tour of Iraq. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once returned at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife and kids. 

It is a movie I would encourage everyone to get from Redbox, Netflix, Family Video...where ever you get your movies from, and watch. It shows the struggles that a soldier has to deal with going from a war hero to a family man. I won't reveal anything more in case anyone hasn't watched the movie or read up on the true story but again, it's a great movie and I recommend it for anyone who is looking for something to watch.

The Nightmare Never Ends

Close your eyes and go to sleep,
My poor, haunted soldier man,
I'll try my best to keep you safe,
In any way I possibly can.

Cradled there in my loving arms,
He drifted off to Vietnam once more.
I tried my best to soothe him,
But he was already back in the war.

His body's tense and twitching,
As he dreams of yesteryear,
I call out his name in vain,
Just trying to ease his fear.

But the battle is already brewing,
He's in the midst of a fire fight,
And for what seems like an eternity,
My soldier thrashes in the night.

And it's too late to bring him home,
He's fighting along side his brothers,
He hears his comrades cry out in pain,
And call out for their mothers.

He's soaked in sweat as he jumps about,
He feels the bullets whizzing by,
His body's numb as he checks himself,
He's so certain he's gonna die.

No, not today my brave hero,
Though you've lost so many friends,
He opens his eyes as the dream has past,
But the nightmare never ends.

Chris Woolnough
11/1/03


 This poem was written about the Vietnam War which lasted from 1959-1973. It honestly gives me chills each time I read it. I don't know the background behind the poem but the way I imagine it, it was written from the viewpoint of the soldier's wife. Her husband has returned from war physically, but mentally he's still in Vietnam fighting alongside his comrades. As our troops return from combat in present day, I think we would do well to remember that a lot of them are experiencing the same kind of mental struggles as this man was. Vietnam veterans did not come home to a warm welcome like many of our troops do today. That war was extremely controversial and when our men came home they were a source of contempt, not respect. Today, we are a little better at recognizing that those soldiers weren't the ones who declared war, they were given orders and had to follow them. We support and honor our soldiers, but unfortunately that doesn't always take away the horror of battle. For some soldiers, in any country, in any era, fighting any war, with public support or without it, the nightmare never ends.

Pray for our soldiers every chance you get.




Link to poem:  http://www.angelfire.com/nf/yvonne/Nightmare.html