Taking souvenirs in wartime is illegal. So I won’t say that this ID, taken from a dead enemy combatant, make its way back to Germany in a small box that contained, among other things, a Hezbollah flag and a piece of shrapnel from an RPG that almost killed my two teammates and I.
Further, since none of this happened, I won’t say that on especially difficult nights, when the vodka hit a little too hard and the sleeping pills weren’t working, did I pull the box down off its shelf in the closet and paw through the content, looking for something that was already long gone and perhaps had never been there to begin with.
Finally, I won’t confirm that when the box was stolen by movers during a PCS, did the theft bring with it an overwhelming feeling of relief, as if a great cleansing wave had washed inland, clearing out twisted old growth and detritus. Freeing me (or not) from the burden of an extreme anger that had always been there, but had frown into something entirely different and infinitely more destructive.
There are already enough ghosts in my life.
No need to collect more of them.
Tamim Fares is a storyteller and Army veteran chronicling the stories of the Iraq War during the Surge. You can follow him here.
What’s happening at VetRep…
Listen to our interview this week with Michael Devine on the Savage Wonder Podcast.
VetRep is thrilled to present “God of Carnage” by Yazmina Reza for the month of September and there is only one performance left. Tickets have been selling out, reserve yours early before they’re gone!
On November 4, 2023, world-class guitarist (and military child) Michael Bard will be performing at Carnegie Hall – and a portion of the proceeds will go to VetRep! Get your tickets here.
We are currently offering multiple dates for our online Playwriting for Veterans classes, and our Acting for Beginners class is now being offered weekly every Saturday from 10am-12pm. Scholarships for qualifying veterans, as well as multi-class passes are available. Registration details can be found here.