►
Description
During this time of safe social distancing we have partnered with Brothers & Sisters Like These to host a virtual monthly group!
Join us once a month in a virtual meeting for combat veterans, their friends, and family to share stories through creative writing to help heal from wartime experiences. Newcomers are always welcome.
For more information about Brothers and Sisters Like These visit their Facebook page @brothersandsisterslikethese.
To sign up for the meetings call Pack Memorial Library, visit our FB page @pack.memorial.library, or visit our online calendar at buncombecounty.org/library.
A
B
You
stephen
several
years
ago,
dr
bruce
kelly,
a
primary
care
physician
at
the
charles
george
va
recognized
the
need
that
wasn't
being
met
so
working
with
joseph
bethante,
a
former
north
carolina
poet
laureate.
They
decided
to
start
a
writing
class
to
encourage
vietnam
veterans
to
write
down
and
share
their
stories.
B
B
A
A
I
would
like
to
say
that
we
have
performed
all
across
the
state
of
north
carolina
in
reading
about
trauma
and
reading
about
healing
and
reading
about
the
things
that
make
us
positive
from
the
day.
We
started
this
program.
I
would
like
to
invite
all
age
groups.
I
would
like
to
invite
people
from
all
walks
of
life
and-
and
we
can
adapt
the
program
to
you,
so
please
contact
the
north,
carolina
veterans,
writing
alliance
and
enjoying
brothers
and
sisters
like
these.
At
this
time.
C
C
C
C
C
I
asked
our
leadership
if
I
could
wander
around
the
outside
of
the
large
home
to
look
around,
I
was
given
permission
and
started
taking
pictures
of
the
children
playing
outside
and
of
the
village
trying
to
gather
to
catch
a
glimpse
of
us.
We
were
quite
a
sight
with
our
humvees
all
locked
and
loaded
with
50
caliber
weapons
guards
and
a
team
of
devoted
medical
providers
and
other
professionals
ready
to
give
a
full
day
of
medical
assistance.
C
It
was
at
least
125
degrees
outside,
and
I
was
soaking
wet
with
sweat
soon
the
gather
soon
the
group
of
gathered
iraqi
women
motioned
to
me
to
come
over
to
them,
and
next
I
was
welcomed
into
the
kitchen
in
their
common
area.
They
were
really
interested
in
me
once
seated
inside
they
motioned
to
take
my
camera
and
they
had
started
looking
it
over
and
taking
pictures.
C
C
C
C
I
finally
asked
him
why
he
explained
how,
as
an
iraqi
male,
he
was
never
allowed
in
the
women's
area.
However,
with
me
he
was
seen
as
a
translator
and
he
could
help
me
out.
He
was
so
pleased
I
joined
and
I
left
and
I
joined
my
my
army
team
to
eat
at
a
big
plastic
white
table
and
chairs
our
guards
came
in
and
took
quick,
turns
to
eat
and
were
grateful
for
a
few
minutes
out
of
their
hot
heavy
gear.
C
C
I
had
rice
in
my
hair
from
all
the
flying
food
and
when
they
bla
when
they
broke
the
lamb
apart,
the
grease
would
splatter
into
our
faces.
We
were
all
laughing
once
we
were
completely
full.
The
iraqi
men
sat
on
the
floor
to
eat
their
meal
as
we
left
for
the
day,
I
enjoyed
my
role
as
a
young
as
helping
a
young
child
become
more
independent
and
meeting
the
iraqi
women
and
the
girls.
C
C
A
A
E
as
far
matthew.
It
was
so
obvious
to
us
when
he
was
growing
up
his
attachment
to
the
military,
the
first
toys
he
wanted
were
toy
soldiers,
then
tanks,
then
more
soldiers,
then
more
tanks,
and
once
when
he
was
attacked,
he
was
watching
the
history
channel,
which
was
always
his
his
favorite
channel
and
raced
in
to
tell
us
what
horrible
people
the
nazis
were.
E
E
I
love
you
so
much,
but
I'm
joining
the
army.
I
have
to
fight
for
my
country,
I'm
joining
and
we
finally
understood
his
dedication
and
while
scared,
we
were
all
so
proud
of
his
love
for
his
country,
but
to
jump
ahead
just
a
little
bit.
What
we
did
not
understand
was
his
return
to
iraq.
After
only
two
months
home
from
his
first
tour,
he
called
and
said
he
had
volunteered
to
go
back,
so
that
veterans
who
had
families
would
have
more
time
to
spend
with
those
families.
E
E
E
But
when
I
saw
the
emotion
on
the
sergeant
and
chaplin's
faces,
then
it
hit
me.
It
was
for
real
pain
such
as
I
have
never
experienced
shot
through
me.
It
was
the
greatest
agony
I
have
ever
felt.
My
head
was
screaming:
no,
no,
no,
no,
and
then
my
body
and
the
mind
and
self-defense
just
shut
down
literally
shut
down.
It
was
the
only
way
I
could
deal
with
it,
and
this
went
on
for
months
and
then
stopped.
I
thought
every
day
was
a
nightmare
should
not
have
to
bury
your
child.
E
Never
did
I
think
about
killing
myself
to
end
the
pain
yep,
I
sure
did
sure
did
many
times
and
might
have,
but
for
my
wonderful
husband
and
my
wonderful
daughter,
and
during
that
time
one
thing
I
learned
that
men
and
women
grieve
very
differently.
Vernon
seemed
so
much
more
composed
than
I
did
immediately
after
matthew's
death.
E
I
couldn't
understand
why
he
wasn't
grieving.
Like
me
and
then
one
day
I
was
downstairs
cleaning
and
I
heard
a
noise
and
I
ran.
I
ran
and
found
vernon
crying
so
hard.
He,
finally,
let
it
out.
He
finally
began
to
show
his
pain
and
grief,
and
you
know,
after
that
we
were
able
to
talk
and
understand
our
sadness.
E
E
E
So
I
quit
and
began
volunteering
at
veterans
organizations
and
after
we
moved
to
north
carolina.
I
was
very
lucky
and
very
honored
to
be
asked
on
the
board
of
blue
ridge,
honor
flight
and
veterans
healing
farm,
but
after
quitting
my
job
and
working
for
veterans,
something
so
important
happened
to
me.
It
was
so
important.
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Another
healing
came
from
two
of
matthew's
best
friends
who
were
with
him
in
the
army.
They
called
me
and
they
were
crying
and
they
said
it
had
taken
them
12
years
to
call
and
tell
me
this,
and
they
were
so
sorry,
but
they
were
ready
now
they
said
they'd
all
gone
to
church
the
day
of
matthew's
death.
E
E
E
E
E
My
sincere
thanks
to
all
of
you
out
there,
especially
veterans
and
everyone
watching
and
honoring
and
remembering
and
showing
their
respect
to
our
country's
heroes.
And,
finally,
one
more
time.
Thank
you.
So
very
very
much
for
letting
me
tell
you
the
story
of
our
beautiful
son's
life
and
his
death
from
this
world.
A
You
had
such
a
wonderful
son,
and
I
thank
you
for
sharing
that
with
us
and
thank
you
and
I
thank
you
for
sharing
us
about
your
beautiful
family
and
about
matthew's
friends
and
what
you've
been
able
to
in
your
family
been
able
to
do
to
help
them.
Thank
you
so
much.
Thank
you
this
time,
I'd
like
to
ask
tommy
cannon.
If
he'd
read
his
fees.
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
F
D
D
D
D
D
C
A
G
G
G
After
a
couple
of
months,
we
got
settled
in
with
our
people
and
got
our
program
training
program
established.
My
commanding
officer
allowed
me
to
go
back
to
the
states
and
get
checked
out
the
f-117
I
hadn't
flown
the
airplane
for
over
five
years,
and
the
timing
was
such
that
I
was
I
completed.
My
checkout
was
ready
to
deploy
when
the
second
squadron
went
over
in
early
december.
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
Not
only
that
I
let
myself
down,
but
all
those
assigned
to
my
unit,
not
just
my
fellow
pilots
but
the
maintenance,
the
intelligence
mission
planners
and
support
personnel
who
had
worked
for
months.
For
this
very
moment,
this
oversight
meant
someone
else
was
going
to
have
to
go
after
that
same
target
the
next
night.
G
Right
after
I
released
my
laser-guided
bomb
and
was
refining
my
aim
point,
I
saw
a
lot
of
people
streaming
out
of
a
door.
Next
to
the
point
I
intended
for
the
bomb
to
strike,
my
wingman
had
dropped
his
bomb
on
the
other
end
of
a
rather
large
structure,
some
30
seconds
earlier
it
was
a
sector
operations
center,
a
key
command
and
control
facility
in
the
iraqi
air
defense
network.
G
While
it
was
a
successful
attack,
it
almost
seemed
too
easy
on
another
memorable
mission
that
was
part
of
a
small
force
that
attacked
targets
in
the
far
northern
part
of
iraq,
because
we
had
established
air
superiority.
Our
brave
air
refueling
tankers
took
us
125
miles
into
the
country,
so
we'd
have
enough
fuel
to
get
to
the
targets
and
get
back
as
I
was
making
a
series
of
descending
turns
into
my
assigned
target.
A
bright
flash
went
off
behind
my
airplane
and
the
concussion
turned
my
aircraft
upside
down.
G
G
Just
as
it
was
in
vietnam,
I
knew
it
was
going
to
be
a
long
walk
home
if
the
bad
guys
got
a
lucky
shot
for
whatever
reason.
The
good
lord
allowed
me
to
survive
for
reasons
unknown
to
me,
I've
kind
of
accepted
it
wasn't
love,
but
god's
grace
has
enabled
me
to
survive.
So
I
can
continue
to
do
the
end.
A
A
H
H
H
I
was
attached
to
a
reserve
naval,
mobile
construction
battalion
or
no
better
known
as
the
seabees
and
in
2005.
I
was
deployed
to
the
alamar
province
of
western
iraq,
where
our
mission
was
to
support
the
marine
second
light,
armored
reconnaissance
battalion
less
than
three
months
upon
returning
to
the
states.
I
was
reassigned
to
the
naval
coastal
warfare
inshore
boat
unit.
It
was
immediately
redeployed
to
the
united
arab
emirates,
where
our
mission
was
to
protect
and
defend
u.s
interests
and
ensure
international
shipping
reigns
lanes
remained
operational.
H
I
was
medically
retired
in
may
of
2008
and
the
piece
I
wrote
was
fly-away
day
because
that's
what
the
seabees
called
the
day
that
we
left
country
so
there
it
is
fly
away
day.
I
think
that's
what
they
called
it.
Yeah
fly
away
day
march,
13th
2005.,
it
seems
like
that
day
should
mean
something
you
know
not
just
another
day
and
come
to
think
of
it.
It
wasn't
just
another
day.
H
You
know
it
was
dull,
no
not
lacking
in
interest
or
excitement,
but
lacking
in
sharpness
that
crisp,
intense
feeling
that
often
accompanies
and
marks
a
historic
event.
But
I
was
numb
not
that
I
did
not
or
could
not
feel.
I
most
definitely
felt
a
lot
of
things.
I
just
did
not
know
how
to
sort
them
out
how
to
process
them,
quantify
them
or
understand
them.
H
H
There
was
an
occasional
interaction
of
hey
weirman,
any
news,
yet,
no,
not
yet
still
waiting.
I
managed
to
respond.
It
is
not
that
they
were
indifferent.
They
had
their
own
fly-away
day
to
live.
It
was
still
relatively
early
in
the
iraq
war
debacle
and
the
vast
majority
of
our
battalion
had
never
been
deployed.
H
H
So
at
this
point
it
was
like
watching
a
circus
show
with
each
seabee
a
ringmaster
in
their
own
tent,
desperately
seeking
to
put
on
a
good
show
for
their
family
friends
or
whomever
might
step
under
the
big
top
to
take
a
peek,
whether
they
realized
it
or
not.
The
family
and
friends
all
had
their
parts
too,
and
in
most
cases
they
appeared
to
have
rehearsed
them
quite
well
and
knew
their
lines.
H
Actually.
It
was
quite
amazing
to
observe
my
show
played
out
via
telephone
flip
phones
that
day's
version
of
a
smartphone-
I
guess
yeah
phones,
lots
of
phones
and
lots
of
confusion,
see.
I
was
physically
located
on
a
tarmac
in
huntsville
alabama,
waiting
to
board
a
plane
over
to
the
sandbox
and
passionately
praying
that
I'd
received
one
of
the
round-trip
tickets.
H
So,
with
my
boots
on
the
ground
in
huntsville,
my
entire
being
was
captivated
by
what
was
going
on
in
a
little
hospital
room
in
hendersonville
north
carolina.
It
was
there
that
my
immediate
family
had
gathered.
I
had
known
to
see
me
off
my
oldest
child
daughter.
Hannah
had
been
in
labor
for
quite
some
time
and
was
going
to
give
birth
to
my
second
grandchild
at
any
moment.
H
We
were
all
crowded
around
the
plane
and
could
not
leave
the
area
because
we
would
be
boarding
at
any
minute.
The
background
noise,
the
drop
calls
and
the
connections
of
extreme
poor
quality
were
infuriating,
combined
with
the
interruptions
of
well-intentioned,
quick
questions
tossed
at
me,
by
a
passerby
or
by
or
to
my
wife
or
daughter
in
the
hospital
added
to
the
confusion,
the
anxiety,
the
anger
and
the
fear.
H
I
could
not
bear
the
thought
of
riding
that
thing
halfway
around
the
world
all
the
time,
my
heart
and
soul,
anchored
in
a
tiny
hospital
room
in
hendersonville
wondering
what
had
occurred
was
everyone?
Okay.
How
would
I
know
who
would
tell
me
what?
If
it
was
not
okay?
What
if
I
had
to
go
back?
What,
if
the
navy,
wouldn't
let
me
go
back
then
by
the
grace
of
god,
it
was
over.
H
H
H
I
heard
a
bunch
of
stuff
that
sounded
like
charlie
brown's
school
teacher,
then
my
name
weirman,
then
my
name
again
weirman.
I
finally
managed
to
answer
it
up
with
a
hearser
and
our
commanding
officer
strolled
through
the
through
the
ranks
and
came
to
rest
in
front
of
me.
I
hear
that
this
is
a
big
day
for
you.
He
said
with
a
big
smile
and
almost
a
chuckle.
H
H
A
I
I
A
husband
who
has
transferred
bases
to
be
with
his
wife
on
christmas,
who
was
killed
two
days
later,
is
on
a
boot.
A
highly
decorated.
Airborne
ranger,
with
over
30
years
of
military
service
and
multiple
combat
deployments,
is
on
a
boot.
A
two-star
general
who
was
killed
in
an
insider
attack
is
on
a
boot.
I
A
B
Thank
you
steven.
We
are
currently
working
on
starting
another
class
and
we
envision
it
being
another
mixed
group
with
vietnam
and
iraq.
Afghan
desert,
storm
veterans,
all
together
that
has
been
very
successful
for
us
in
the
past
and,
as
I
said
before,
the
initial
group
have
formed
a
strong
bond
and
we
continue
to
write
and
share
our
stories
right
now.
We
are
thinking
about
the
possibility
of
september,
but
with
the
covid
situation,.
B
We
also
have
a
facebook
page
that
tommy
cannon
has
set
up
for
us
and
is
working
with,
and
you
can
contact
us
through
the
facebook
page.
If
you
would
like
steve,
I
believe
that's
pretty
much
all
that
we,
you
know,
I
have
to
say
at
this
time
about
it.
We
look
forward
to
having
as
many
people
as
we
can
and
look
forward
to
hearing
from
people.
F
Sure
hoping
that
we're
going
to
get
the
last
finishing
touches
on
that
this
week
and
hopefully
get
it
launched
next
week,
it
will
be
brothers
and
sisters
like
these
dot
com,
and
this
is
a
place
where
you
can
not
only
find
out
about
what
events
are
coming
up.
What
regular
support
groups
are
happening,
how
you
can
sign
up
for
classes,
but
also
you
can
purchase
the
book
brothers
and
brothers
like
these
from
the
website.