Hi out there! This goes out to anyone from WW1 and up. I am an aspiring writer and am creating a book of short stories that will be based on the real combat experiences of soldiers in wars form ww2 through Iraq. I am looking for any stories or experiences people would like to share. My email is listed and you may send me responses if you would like. I would ask that you include your name, rank, position, background,etc. The more detailed the account, the better. Your privacy will be respected if you wish it, and you will simply be listed as anonymous. No real names will be used unless you specifically request it. There is no guarantee that the book will be published or that your story will be used, though I am going to try and include as many as I can from WWW1 through current day Iraq. They don't necessarily have to be your stories, just any in general. My grandfather was a WW2 veteran and I grew up listening to his stories as a fighter pilot, and have been interested in war stories ever since. I think there are many people out there as well who are curious about the lives and experiences of soldiers. I ask for details because I wish to have no false information and to be as accurate as possible. Thank you so much in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Aurora Brown Van Ausdall
mae14@hotmail.com

Mae, your best bet is to head to the local VFW and speak to the members there. Online you are likely to encounter a very high "bs" quotient.

I'll do that.

Originally Posted by mae14

Hi out there! This goes out to anyone from WW1 and up. I am an aspiring writer and am creating a book of short stories that will be based on the real combat experiences of soldiers in wars form ww2 through Iraq. I am looking for any stories or experiences people would like to share. My email is listed and you may send me responses if you would like. I would ask that you include your name, rank, position, background,etc. The more detailed the account, the better. Your privacy will be respected if you wish it, and you will simply be listed as anonymous. No real names will be used unless you specifically request it. There is no guarantee that the book will be published or that your story will be used, though I am going to try and include as many as I can from WWW1 through current day Iraq. They don't necessarily have to be your stories, just any in general. My grandfather was a WW2 veteran and I grew up listening to his stories as a fighter pilot, and have been interested in war stories ever since. I think there are many people out there as well who are curious about the lives and experiences of soldiers. I ask for details because I wish to have no false information and to be as accurate as possible. Thank you so much in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Aurora Brown Van Ausdall
mae14@hotmail.com

I think it sounds rather interesting, however while there is certainly a lot of military experience on these boards I am not overly certain how much actual combat experience there is.

While I am looking for combat experiences, there is no reason not to include the everyday experiences of soldiers, even those who haven't seen combat. They can be just as interesting.

There may be more combat veterans around here than some folks think.

I agree and disagree. There is a lot of tales of war and selfless service that you can access here. Yet at the same time there are stories that cannot be told. It is werid. Just look in all the other forums. There are already many stories posted. Just access those. Maybe you can compile a good portion of your book on that. The best thing to do is the face to face interviews. People generally tell more truthful tales when you can look them straight in the eye.

Of all the millions of men that fought in WW1 from Britain there are just eight left and all these are over a 100 years old and I don't think you will find them online.