Unbreaking the Circle
Voices of the Military,
their Families & Caregivers
For many in military circles, expressions of their experiences—so deeply seated as to be inseparable from their identities—are made at the risk of having not only their work… but themselves… misunderstood or rejected. But when, instead, those confidences are received and resonate, it helps reforge the circle of community which was broken by silence born of fear. The purpose of this anthology is to promote connection through the arts, and healing through those connections. We hope, for the authors, the telling has been cathartic, giving voice to those who might not have been afforded a vehicle, and an opportunity to preserve personal histories. And that for the audience, the reading will be illuminating, offering insights as stepping stones to understanding. And for both, an avenue to foster conversation, and eventual convergence.
As a geometric shape, the circle’s uniformity, its infinite number of infinitesimally small sides, and lack of a definitive starting or end point, make it a natural symbol of the eternal; writ large in the orbits of the planets, small in the wedding bands which grace our fingers. And, like those little crowns of matrimony, a sign of completeness through union. In contrast, military service often breaks circles; of place, time, relationships (with others and with self), and sometimes of life; breaks borne by family members and caregivers as well.
All of the prose and poetry contained in this anthology were written by members, past and present, of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families or caretakers, who currently reside within the state of New Mexico. Publication of Unbreaking the Circle was sponsored through a grant from New Mexico Arts, a division of the State of New Mexico Arts Agency and Department of Cultural Affairs.
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Book Launch Information: Unbreaking the Circle will be featured at an event on Sunday, June 22, 2025 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at the Albuquerque Museum auditorium located at 2000 Mountain Rd. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87104
Unbreaking the Circle is available at the SouthWest Writers Office or on Amazon. You can also get copies at the Book Reading events scheduled through SWW. More information on those will be posted here soon.
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Contents by Author Name, their entries, and page number
RICK ALT • Not What I Expected—Vietnam 1967 • 342
ROSA B. ARMIJO-PEMBLE • When the Mind Fades • 100
STEVE BORBAS • Korea—August 1968 • 34
VINCE BREESE • Three Years and a Day in the Life of… • 324
JOSEPH A. BROPHY • A Memorable Rocket Mission • 350
- A Slick Pilot in Vietnam • 360
TERRANCE J. BROWN, FAIA • Life at the End of War • 311
LAUREL BURNETT • Tea for Two • 120
JOHN J. CANDELARIA • Loyalty • 54
- The Circle of Character • 55
- A Forever Partnership • 56
- A Wave to Character • 57
MIKE CLAGETT • Hector • 340
BRINN COLENDA • Spring Break 1970 • 331
DITA DOW • Sticky Notes of Love • 334
DANIEL BRUCE • Dad, You Never Asked Me… • 4
LILLY COLLIER • Bend • 8
SONJA DEWING • Chasing the Horizon (excerpt) • 95
JOHN D. EMERY • Survival Story of a Quaker Soldier • 179
KRISTI ERICSON • Always a Marine • 281
WILLIAM J. FISHER • Vietnam and the Dragonfly Pilots • 70
MARK FLEISHER • Death in the Afternoon Air • 16
- Can Tho • 320
- Homeward Bound • 262
JULIANNE FONTENOY • A Conscientious Objector at War • 134
CORNELIA GAMLEM • Beyond the Tears • 110
GERALD GODBEY • He Who Laughs Last • 46
PAUL D. GONZALES • Going Home After War • 152
- Easter 1968 • 9
- Empty Boots • 66
- Listen UP • 80
- Music and Time • 270
- Joe • 280
- A Vision at Cam Ranh Bay • 222
CHARLES HAVENS • Walking in the Valley • 77
KATHLEEN A. HESSLER • A Nod to My Brother • 161
MICHAEL HIBNER • 1966-68 USS Kearsarge CVS33 • 169
CARL HITCHENS • Time Waits for No One • 74
- Kismet • 268
PATRICIA CONOR HODAPP • New Birthdays in America • 195
- Christmas Troop Trains • 20
KE HOPKINS • The War Graves of Normandy • 12
CHUCK HOWE • National Veterans Wellness Center • 105
CHIKIYO JACKSON • Prelude to My Dying • 206
- The Letter—I.W.D.F.Y. • 208
- Life is a war. • 210
- The Widow on the night of… • 212
WANDA W. JEROME • Sayōnara • 240
ROSE MARIE KERN • The Motorcycle Doughboy • 115
SANDRA C. LAPHAM • Good Boy, Good Soldier • 143
CAROLINE A. LeBLANC • Waiting in the Pharmacy Line • 48
- The Ubiquitous Male Gaze
JACQUELINE MURRAY LORING • Nantucket Moment • 232
- Beginning of My Tomorrow • 291
- Walk on the Moon • 293
- haiku • 294
- Nightwatch • 295
DON MacKELLAR • Nuclear Fission and ConFusion • 150
- An Element of an Aircraft Carrier
FRED MAGEE • Navy Days • 362
STEVE McILWAIN • William C. Nebe, PFC, USMC • 302
MARIA ROBLES MEIER • The Strands That Bind • 38
SAM MOORMAN • My Vietnam Tour • 17
- Camp Dachau 1963 • 84
C.L. NEMETH • Army Dogs • 30
- A Short Walk • 306
PROF. BILL NEVINS • Dover Base On a Darkling Plain • 122
- The Fire Wall 124
- Gold Star Dirt, Xmas Trees… 125
- Heartbreak Ridge (for Liam) 126
- Icarus in the Forever War 131
- Under Her Veil in Aurora… 132
PAULA NIXON • Milepost 1303 • 251
PATRICIA d’ORRIS • Another PCS • 67
- Diary of a Military Wife (excerpts)
BOB PARNELL • What Happened? • 250
- Count the Words • 310
DONNA PEDACE • Marriage to a Submarine Officer • 296
DON REMINGTON • Butterflies • 233
RICHARD RIEDER • Military Discipline • 243
LÉONIE ROSENSTIEL • Mama’s Stories • 199
SEQUOIA RUDOLPH • For All Who Served • 1
EARL W. RUGEN • Soldiers • 114
BARB SIMMONS • This Brat’s Life • 271
KARA SMITH • Burn • 86
- Assaulted • 104
- Reminder Ring • 153
BOB STUART • One Step at a Time • 188
RAYMUND TEMBREULL • Every-No-Thing • 300
PATRICIA THURMAN • Was Dad a Spy? • 352
JASMINE TRITTEN • Memory from Occupied Denmark • 36
- Meet Me in Bandung! • 286
JIM TRITTEN • Two Old Soldiers • 58
- At Last… • 316
- Taking Off the Uniform • 108
RAYMUND TEMBREULL • STATICality • 154
CHRISTOPHER UPHAM • Two Tales of Love • 214
- JANET WALRAVEN • Stairs Going Nowhere • 223
DAN WETMORE • Right Place + Wrong Time… • 186
- To “The Colors” • 230
- How Sweet It Is • 25
MIKE WHELAN • Test Depth • 365
BEN WHITE • Ever Endured • 24
- Fantasies • 44
- From Phuong Tam to Nena • 45
- Deception Pass • 94
- An Empty Sign • 142
- Manhole Cover • 168
- For Mary Lou • 330
- Almanac • 338
- Caserta • 348
- Temporary Nature • 358
- Drivers • 198
DAVID F. WILLIAMS • Vietnam Flight • 88
ALLEN WHITT • Black Tears • 32
CIRCE OLSON WOESSNER • 19 • 290
- Thanksgiving • 242
- MRI • 160
LYNNE ZOTALIS • The Year Was 1969 • 62
- An Argument for Peace • 176