Snapshots of War: The First Sortie

On 9 July, 1987, Major Mark Dwyer was an F-15 pilot assigned to the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Soesterberg Airbase, a USAFE base in the Netherlands. Dwyer, a native of Albany, NY and graduate of Penn State University, was also the operations officer for the 32nd. In addition to their jobs in the cockpit, …

Snapshots of War: Into The Meat Grinder Part III

*Author's Note: This blog entry is a bit shorter than normal. Sorry, free time was difficult to find this weekend. After this blog I'm going to devote the next two or three to getting D+7 started. After which, I'll go back and conclude the first Snapshots of War narrative. I hope you all had a …

Snapshots of War: Into The Meat Grinder Part II

North of Bad Salzungen, German Democratic Republic, 10 July, 1987 (D+1) Major Gurenko stood on the side of the stone building currently serving as his regiment’s headquarters and looked up at the camouflage netting overhead. The first peeks of daylight were seeping through the mesh, previewing the coming dawn. Sunrise would be at 0520 hours, …

Snapshots of War: Into The Meat Grinder Part I

*Author's Note: Snapshots of War will be a new category featuring narrative accounts of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both sides at war.* North of Tiefenort, German Democratic Republic,  10 July, 1987 (D+1) “Comrade Major!” Major Pavel Gurenko’s eyes shot open and he came fully awake at once. The words had been spoken softly, almost …