As our country endures more military tension in the Middle East, I was thinking a great deal about the members of the military who may be affected. I hope they will be safe now, in the coming weeks, and months as their lives continue to be in danger from potential escalated violence and conflict. After my late husband, 1st Lt. James L. Hull, died while serving his country in the Vietnam War, I am all too familiar with the tragedy of losing a loved one who served overseas. While some of our … [Read more...]
An Amazing Movie
While millions of HBO fans await the final denouement of Game of Thrones, there’s another even more visually arresting film available on Netflix that’s also transfixing viewers, because it tells the story of a long-ago reality battle, not some CGI-generated fantasy of today. They Shall Not Grow Old is a viscerally powerful film, produced by academy award-winning New Zealand director Peter Jackson of The Lord of the Rings fame, whose own grandfather was a career British soldier who survived … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore
I’ll never forget the first time I heard John Prine’s ugly, horrible song “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore.” It was in 1971, shortly after I had left the Menninger Clinic to begin my life as a single mother of a young child. My husband Larry had been recently killed in the Vietnam War and my heart was still tender. Larry died on February 19, 1971, and when I first heard the song, I was furious with Prine and his provocative lyrics. But, I was intrigued enough to buy a copy … [Read more...]
