• Civil War: “A bullet whizzed several feet in front of me . . . Suddenly I heard the ball go "crash!' and I knew by its sound it has burst a human skull.” — Feb. 2, 1863.

        • World War I: “We were all subjected to several different kinds of gas today, with and without masks . . . It sure is horrible stuff, honey.” — Ed, June 18, 1918.

        • World War I: “I got my first Hun with the bayonet . . . I sure was afraid, and you and other chaps would be too. But what I was afraid of most was that I would be yellow.” — Dick, France, 1918.

        • World War I: “How can there be fairness in one man being maimed for life, suffering agonies, another killed instantaneously, while I get out of it safe? Does God really love us individually, or does He love His purpose more? Or is it better to believe he makes the innocent suffer for the guilty, and that things will be squared up some day.” — A private to his pastor.

        • World War II: “I saw the smoke and the fires. I expected to see my maker most any moment . . . It was hell for a while.” — Paul Spangler, Pearl Harbor, Dec. 17, 1941.

        • World War II: An African-American corporal, Rupert Trimmingham, wrote this in 1944 when he couldn't eat in a Deep South restaurant serving lunch to two dozen German soldiers and their American guards:

        “I could not help but ask myself these questions: Are we not American soldiers, sworn to fight for and die if need be for this country? Then why are they treated better than we? Why does the government allow such things to go on?”

        • Korean War: “It was pretty awful the first time we found one of our boys lying in the snow, stripped of his shoes and clothes. We cussed and we cried too. Gosh, it could have been anyone from the gang at home. Anyway, it was some mother's son.” — Johnny, 1951.

        • Korean War: “I've spent 12 months over here, the longest 30 years of my life. A short time ago I was 18, and all I worried about was cars, girls and how much beer a real man could drink . . . But there were times I would have traded it all for a warm blanket, a wool hat, a shoe lace.”

        • Vietnam War: “Last night one more Marine died. No one will ever hear or care about it, except his parents and us . . . yet this Marine did more for his country than any president or senator ever did . . . He didn't deserve dying in a damn country not worth fighting for.” — Stephen Daniel, Aug. 9, 1968.

        • Vietnam War: “Being a good platoon leader is a lonely job. I don't want to really get to know anybody over here because it would be bad enough to lose a man, I damn sure don't want to lose a friend . . . Maybe some day I'll try to tell you how scared I am.” — Dean Allen, July 10, 1969, four days before being killed by a land mine.

        • Gulf War: “It never seemed like a war . . . When we were breaching the main Iraqi defense line, an idiot popped up from a trench and started firing. My tank was the first to return fire. You don't think of it as someone shooting at you. It's just a target, like on a range.” — Dan Welch, March 8, 1991.

To Britney, singing is a fantasy
Celebrating 25 years of Borgman
PBS' 'War Letters' unfolds horror and humanity
Sampling from PBS' War Letters
A brassy 'Blast' blows through town
Brooks comes back, but only to the '70s
DEMALINE: Town meeting on arts slated
Energetic 'Beehive' slow to catch fire
Ballet soloist reports from Lisbon
Veteran dancer again in spotlight
DAUGHERTY: Piece of paper shows we remember
German, American speak the language of collecting
If your name's Bengal, it's a good year
Trapper round ups exotic, often-dangerous animals
Update Thanksgiving stuffing
Few brews hint at Pilgrims' potables
Korean barbecue won't bore
Pecans earn their place on American plates
Get to it
Good things in life can 'distract' Kevin Kline
Jackson's reign at No. 1 likely brief
KENDRICK: Limbaugh's now a role model for deaf
Photo exhibit focuses on life along Ohio River