A Four Part Series from TTBOOK!

Public Radio International

Wisconsin Public Radio

PART THREE: ESPRIT DE CORPS

Program 09-11-08-A

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For many soldiers and Marines, war is not fundamentally about the mission. War is not really about the enemy. It's not even about patriotism. War is about the man to the left and right of you. War is about your buddy. And it's that camaraderie, that esprit de corps that is the glue that holds the U.S. military together. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge – a talk with U.S. soldiers and Marines who served in Iraq about Esprit de Corps.

SEGMENT 1:

Toby Nunn was a Sergeant First Class who served two tours in Iraq. Home now, he's finding it hard to adjust to civilian life, but as he told Steve Paulson, he's still taking care of the men in his platoon. Nunn currently works for the nonprofit group Soldiers' Angels. Also, Tyler Boudreau is a twelve year veteran on the Marine Corps. He resigned his commission over reservations about the legitimacy of the Iraq War. He's the author of "Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine." He discusses his experiences and his decision with Anne Strainchamps. And, John Wrobleski, Sr. Tells Anne Strainchamps about the day he got the news that his son, Marine 2nd Lt. John "JT" Wrobleski, Jr. Was killed in Iraq.

SEGMENT 2:

We hear a bit of the band Drowning Pool, typical of the music favored by troops in Iraq. Jonathon Pieslak, author of "Sound Targets: American Soldiers and the Music in the Iraq War," talks with Jim Fleming about how U.S. forces use music and who they listen to. Helen Benedict is the author of "The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq." The words of Air Force Sergeant Marti Ribeiro as quoted in the book are voiced by actress Carrie Coon. Benedict tells Anne Strainchamps the shocking truth about the heavy toll sexual harassment and abuse take on our female warriors.

SEGMENT 3:

Brian Turner was an average young American who volunteered for military service in Iraq. At night he wrote poetry by flashlight. When his tour ended, he collected his poems into a book called "Here, Bullet." Turner talked about his work, especially the title poem, with Anne Strainchamps.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 09-11-01-A.

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Books & CDs:

Tyler Boudreau, Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine (Feral House Publishing)
Toby Nunn, Northern Disclosure (Author Press)
Brian Turner, Here, Bullet (Alice James Books)
Helen Benedict, The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq (Beacon Press)
Jonathan Pieslak, Sound Targets: American Soldiers and Music in the Iraq War (Indiana Press)

Websites:

• For more information on Soldiers’ Angels (including where YOU can help): http://soldiersangels.org/
• Toby Nunn’s personal website and blog: http://www.tobynunn.com/
• Want to read soldier and Marine blogs?: http://www.milblogging.com/
• Some other Milblog sites:
  http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/
  http://www.blackfive.net/
• For photos and videos of John Wroblewski’s visit to Iraq to see where his son, JT, was killed: http://allyouneedphotography.blogspot.com/
• For shorts videos of the men of the Toby Nunn’s Bad Voodoo Platoon visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/badvoodoo/video/

Music:

• Atoms for Peace (Four Tet Remix)/Tom Yorke/Domino Records
• Nude/Radiohead/In Rainbows/Radiohead web release
  2080/Yeasayer/All Hours Cymbals/We Are Free Records
• Bodies/Drowning Pool/Sinner/Eleven Seven Music
• Hands/Four Tet/Rounds/Domino Records
• Fabulous Diaster/Sik/Buried in Time/Panic Studios
• Here Comes Santa Claus/Alvin and the Chipmunks/Christmas with the Chipmunks/Capital
• The Ride of the Valkyries/Richard Wagner, Leopold Stokowski, and London Symphony Orchestra/Wagner Weekend/Decca
• Go To Sleep/ DMX feat. Eminem & Obie Trice/Cradle to the Grave Soundtrack/Def Jam Records
• Angel of Death/Slayer/Reign in Blood/Sony Legacy
• I Don’t Give a F***/ Krayzie Bone, , Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Mystikal/Kings of Crunk/Tvt
• Original theme music for “Boots on the Ground: Stories from the War in Iraq” was written by Steve Mullen at Walk West Productions. http://walkwestworld.com

Distribution dates: week of 05/16/2010 - hour 2 week of 11/01/2009 - hour 1 click HERE for timings and cues

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