Writing About War

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Posted on September 14th, 2009 in Writing by Guy Hogan

War is always with us.

The idea for this article for Triond came to me as I watched a news report on television that said 53 journalists had been killed so far this year covering the different wars going on across the world. I thought about the report. I thought about the commitment to get the story that a professional war correspondent must have in order to do the job of reporting in a combat zone.

Of course as a young man, I was in combat. I served as a 105mm howitzer artilleryman with the 1st Cav (Air Mobile) in Vietnam when I was 19 years old. Even now, when a helicopter passes overhead I stare up at it and remember that other time and place in Southeast Asia. I wanted to be a writer even then. And once I was discharged from the army, I spent years writing flash fiction stories based on my experiences in Vietnam.

19 Responses to “Writing About War”

Papa Sparks
September 14th, 2009 at 4:25 am

Thank you for sharing this. I was in the Air Force from 1976-1980 and I know what you mean–every time I hear a helicopter flying overhead in Korea (a Blackhawk or Chinook) I turn my head up to the sky, remembering the Hueys at Howard AFB in the Canal Zone. Later it would be F-4s at George AFB–although there are no F-4s here, when I do hear F-16s roaring across the sky, it also takes me back.

I have done a lot of writing about the Korean War here when I covered the 50th Anniv. of the war from 2000-2003. Met many vets and wrote about their experiences during the war as well as a special story on the 25th anniversary of the Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident.
ken bultman
September 14th, 2009 at 4:57 am

I spoke with a ‘Nam vet last week. You are not alone with a fading memory of the war. Enjoyed your momentary revival of it for this article.
Steve Newman
September 14th, 2009 at 7:34 am

Good Piece.

I remember talking at length many times with the late novelist and military historian, Charles Whiting (who also wrote as Leo Kessler), who fought in Europe from 1944.

Writing for him was also the great therapy, the way of handling his memories.
Guy Hogan
September 14th, 2009 at 9:13 am

Papa, I remember the Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident. I thought we were going to war. The North Koreans killed several American soldiers because they were trimming trees near the DMZ.
Guy Hogan
September 14th, 2009 at 9:20 am

ken, I was in Vietnam in 1966. That’s a long time ago. I made it back okay. The war did have a deep affect on me. But I was still one of the lucky ones.
Guy Hogan
September 14th, 2009 at 9:24 am

Steve, writing helped me through some bad times. If I had not had writing I don’t know what I would have done. Writing may have saved my life.
Ruby Hawk
September 14th, 2009 at 6:50 pm

I have tried to get my grandsons who have served in Iraq to write about their experiences. I think it would be a great deal of help to them but so far, nothing doing. I\\\’m happy for you that your nightmares are over.
Guy Hogan
September 14th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

Ruby, you can’t push them. It will make it worse. Writing about their Iraq experience may not help them. It doesn’t work for everyone.
WriteEditSeek
September 14th, 2009 at 11:14 pm

You are a remarkable writer. You got to some brilliant insights in such a short piece. I think the most valuable gift writing can give is that of healing for ourselves and others. Beautifully said. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
WriteEditSeek
September 14th, 2009 at 11:16 pm

And I wanted to mention this line, “War makes it very clear that life can be very cheap.” Cutting insight, stated simply and honestly.
Jane Jane
September 15th, 2009 at 8:15 am

I’m glad to be in a war free nation.=)
Guy Hogan
September 15th, 2009 at 7:36 pm

WriteEditSeek, you are too kind. I think the best way to say something is to say it simply.
Guy Hogan
September 15th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

Jane Jane, I know exactly what you mean although 9/11 was a terrible shock.
ducroisjosef
September 16th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

I couldn’t imagine having been exposed to anything like that at 19. It makes me wonder how someones perspective developes, having been forced to deal with what has to be the most concerted and resourceful effort to accomplish what we naturally find abominable, while still very young. I was so self involved and certain that my problems were the most important in the world, matured forward thinking and reason just didn’t develope until later. There must be some blisteringly sudden growing pains. I can see where escaping from the reality of the situation would develope a sharper skill for fiction, and no doubt a more vivid, though more difficult, imagination.
Guy Hogan
September 16th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

ducroisjosef, after Vietnam I threw myself into writing short stories. In the short stories I could control what happened. Even if the protagonist failed, the important thing was I was in control of what happened. The more I wrote the more I healed myself from what being constantly exposed to death, including my own, in Vietnam had done to me.
Maria Padilla
September 17th, 2009 at 7:53 am

Hey Guy,

I might ask you for an informal interview about your writing/healing experiences, if you are available.

Thanks for sharing this.
Guy Hogan
September 17th, 2009 at 2:25 pm

Hello, Maria: I’ll have to think about an interview. I guess it would be okay. I don’t know. Vietnam happened such a long time ago. I just thought about it recently because of this article. I’ll send you a message.
JoshuaD
October 1st, 2009 at 12:56 am

Writing is very cathartic.
Guy Hogan
October 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm

Joshua, the writing definitely helped me. I was in bad shape there for a time.