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The Fire Pit

Lore, Adventure, Stories of Fortune, Books, Entertainment, Veterans’ Issues

Lost Night in Kuwait: When My Driver Took a Detour Into the Desert

We keep on driving, and I ask, “Where the fuck are we going?” With a smile and laugh Ali replies, “It’s just up here, buddy.” Being paranoid, I lock and load my M16. I figure worse comes to worse, I’ll smoke him and find my way back. by Greg Chabot …

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‘Damn the Valley’: A Gritty, Riveting Story of Paratroopers at War in Afghanistan

by Heath Hansen When William Yeske asked if I’d be interested in reviewing his book, Damn The Valley, I was eager to see what he had put on paper. As I found out later, he’d served as an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR). Considering I …

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Life in the Shadows: Ric Prado Appears on ‘Tall Tales With Taco Bell’ Podcast

Two of our great friends sat down for a chat in their respective studios – and here’s the result. Our esteemed board member Ric Prado appeared on Tall Tales With Taco Bell, hosted by the one and only – you guessed it! – Taco Bell. They chat about Ric’s adventures …

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To Those Who Jump Out of Perfectly Good Airplanes: Raise a Glass on National Airborne Day

by Heath Hansen Happy National Airborne Day to all you servicemen and servicewomen who volunteered to serve your country at a “higher” level! Created in 2002, by then President George W. Bush, National Airborne Day honors all the Nation’s airborne armed forces. READ MORE from Heath Hansen in Soldier of …

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A Jeep, a Soldier, Some Booze, and One Very Rough Night in Camp

by James Woods Editor’s note: Reader James Woods sent this story about his father in law, who had an interesting time one night after dark during WWII. My father in law was assigned to the HQ company of an engineer unit as a driver during WWII. The unit was going …

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The Cordon: One Very Bad Day in Baqubah

by Greg Chabot Editor’s note: This story contains some very raw, violent material that could bring readers back to their own stark experiences at war. ~SKK It had been quiet in Baqubah with some IEDs going off and some occasional small arms fire in the city. This was about to …

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‘Cuba Libre!’ How We Defeated Castro at the Bay of Pigs: An Alternate History

by Joshua Garay Publisher’s note: Here at Soldier of Fortune, we’ve been paying attention to the emerging field of ‘FICINT’ (Fictional Intelligence) as a serious analytic tool. Most FICINT scenarios are set in the future. But what if FICINT also could show alternate history, and underscore what has been at …

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How I Saved My Unit From Death-by-Trackers

On this particular day, I was feeling quite fed up with all the fucking trackers. I went on a rant. And then… by Cliff Wade Back in Garrison, 2015 The Army is big on trackers. They track unit’s training requirements, numerous administrative actions, leave dates, fire extinguisher expiration dates, duty exemptions, …

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Wounded at War, Scotty Hasting Sings With a Deeper Purpose: Rising Country Star Talks to Soldier of Fortune

by Heath Hansen This dude was shot 10 times, and lived to sing about it… Recently I was asked if I’d like to sit down and talk with a rising star in the country music industry; a singer who also happens to be a former infantryman in the US Army. …

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