Obliterature
Beowulf – the classical warrior-meets-monster tale – is one yarn to make the American soldier’s swag, bound for Baghdad. So too is The Odyssey – another travelogue with sword. And The Iliad, where the Trojan War of course is the major bloody episode.
Lieutenant Colonel Jason Armagost, who flew aboard USAF squadrons in 2003 during air strikes on Iraq, contributes to a new set of essays entitled Planning for Conflict in the 21st Century.
Hardly a heartening topic, but the literary angle that Armagost adapts towards the skirmish has a ghoulish allure. Harpers Magazine – the September issue – lists the library in full, all the books Armagost smuggles through the bomber hatch to appease his soldier soul.
Many of the titles are predictable – such as Tim O’Brien’s standout memoir of Vietnam paddies The Things They Carried, or an apparent no-brainer like Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot by Jim Stockdale. But others, like Don Quixote, seem out of a left battlefield.
Q: How would a dreamy romantic help drop a Scud over Isfahan? Or maybe it’s the bomber who seeks the release.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:41 pm
For the last 18 months Slate.com and Garry Trudeau (of Doonesbury cartoon fame) have been republishing blog entries by members of the US armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The ‘aggregating’ blog is called The Sandbox and it’s well worth an occasional visit — Lt Col Armagost is not the only military person with a literary bent, (ahem) not by a long shot (sorry). The Sandbox offers a sampling of many different voices; some simply tell stories of their experiences; others describe their efforts to find meaning in what’s happening around them. Trudeau has published an anthology (book) of posts from the blog.