What’s So Special About Today’s Veterans?

A Discussion Of Coming Home From Combat Yesterday and Today

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down. The country is cutting defense spending. So a new wave of veterans is leaving the military and returning to our communities. In light of this change, and in advance of “How Are Veterans Changing America?” a Zócalo/UCLA event, we asked veterans and those who work with veterans: What’s special about today’s generations of veterans in comparison to previous ones?

Why I’m Glad Women Will Officially Face Withering Enemy Fire

Female Soldiers Are Already In Combat Without Getting Credit For It. It Was Long Past Time For a Change Of Rules.

My parents were both U.S. Marine vets. I had an uncle who was an Air Force vet, five great-uncles who were Army vets, and one great-uncle who was a Navy …

The Joys of Basic Training, 1951

Becoming a Soldier in a Time of War

When Bill Clinton was preparing to take over as president of the United States, he got a lesson from Ronald Reagan on how to salute. Back then, it was unusual …

Our Own Civil War

Who We Were is a new Zócalo feature that seeks insights into our present reality by taking a look at where we’ve been. In our first Who We Were, William …