Proud to Be Missouri Humanities

Jarrod Taylor is a combat veteran and served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from 2000-2009. He completed four deployments, including tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode, we learn how military service has impacted Jarrod’s life and how his students respond when finding out he is a veteran. We discover how a journal he carried during service, a class called, “War Stories,” and a music video called, “Sadr City” have all led him down a path of writing about his military experiences.

Husband-and-wife duo, Kent and Stacey Walker, both hold MFAs in writing and team-teach Veterans Writing Workshops for Missouri Humanities. Kent was a sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division of the Army and completed two tours in Iraq. His wife, Stacey, is a lecturer at University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis Community College, and Jefferson College.

In this episode, we hear about Kent’s experience as a M240 gunner, the preparation of his unit leading up to the 2003 invasion into Baghdad, and the process of writing about his wartime experience. We learn from Stacey how her family inspired her to write about connection, relationships, and identity. Kent & Stacey reveal their “meet cute” and discuss how writing, storytelling, teaching, and therapy have been influential and healing parts of their relationship. In this conversation we are left with the concept of “living life one page a day.”

Billy Jenkins is a Pittsburgh-based writer and a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he retired as a Sergeant Major. He is a City of Pittsburgh Firefighter with over 22 years of service. In 2015, he earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University. In addition to writing, Billy is an actor and has appeared on TV, in movies, and on stage.

In this episode, we learn what drew Billy to service at the age of 17, about his 2003 deployment following 9-11, how a conversation over MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) inspired him to pursue writing, and how his writings speak to the memory of his father and his own military experience. We also discuss the expectations of “the eve of” a thing, his “Barney-style” of writing, on being a “spork”, the collaboration of veterans and the arts, and the benefits from acting vs. writing.

In this segment, Billy reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“Going Home” from PTB, Volume 6
“The Night Before” from PTB, Volume 10

Ben White is an author and professor. As he was serving his 22-year military career in the US Army and the US Coast Guard, and then again while earning his MFA from the University of Tampa, Ben thought he was a poet. He has since discovered he is not a poet at all, but rather a witness—and what he writes is testimony.

In this episode, we learn how this Kentucky boy became a “Cold War Warrior” serving overseas in Germany, as well as the impact his military experience and Kentucky roots have had on his writing. We also discuss his honest approach to writing, putting his military education funding to good use, being commanded by Vietnam veterans, the influence of other war writers, and the lasting impression of Nena’s song, 99 Red Balloons.

In this segment, Ben reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:

“Cold Warriors” from PTB, Volume 6
“Recordings for Later Listening: Lost Rounds” from PTB, Volume 7
“Memorial Thoughts” from PTB, Volume 10

Valerie Young is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces. She served approximately ten years, with a deployment to Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. She is a loving mother of two, an aspiring writer, and a servant leader in her community. She is passionate about her personal growth and loves to express herself through poetry. Valerie has been published in seven of the ten volumes of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors.

In this episode, Valerie speaks openly about trauma, addiction, suicide, and rehabilitation associated with the aftermath of serving in a war and a natural disaster. We discuss the necessity of addressing stigma around veterans with PTSD, embracing support systems for recovery, community service, and advocating for mental health awareness through her poetry—both on paper and on the stage.

In this segment, Valerie reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:

“To My Fellow Vets” from PTB, Volume 3
“A Soldier’s Bottle” from PTB, Volume 5
“Suffer In Silence” from PTB, Volume 10

Randy Brown is a former citizen-soldier, poet, and secret blogger. In 2011, he embedded with his former Iowa Army National Guard unit as a civilian journalist in Afghanistan. He is the author of the award-winning poetry collection, “Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire.” Randy has been published in nine of the ten volumes of "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors."

In this episode, we learn how Randy merged his military communication and journalism skills as a technical writer and blogger, incorporates army jargon and humor into his writing, and expresses his military experience in the form of haiku. We also discuss the concept of “poetry of witness,” the connectedness of the war-writing community, and engaging in meaningful conversation beyond the phrase, “Thank you for your service.” Randy even reveals the story behind his pseudonym, “Charlie Sherpa.”

In this segment, Randy reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:

“what sacrifice has been” from PTB, Volume 1
“a Radio-Telephone Operator writes haiku” from PTB, Volume 4
“Suburbistan” from PTB, Volume 3