A thank you from VVA
The Vassar Veterans Association would like to take this opportunity to thank The Miscellany News and its dedicated staff to its continued commitment to Veterans’ Voices. This is the fourth…
Veterans’ Voices
A service experience
I served in the Army for four years, from 2016 to 2020. The first year of my service was virtually all training, and then I was assigned to my unit…
The isle of misfit toys
As a veteran, sometimes I feel like a toy from the Isle of Misfit Toys. My reference may be a bit dated, but the metaphor stands. Somehow, even though I…
A Sea Story
Being at sea was always a time for me to figure out my sober self, workout and read, because at sea, there was no alcohol and, most importantly, no cell…
Good Enough
Switching from the military to college was honestly really easy. People assume that once you’re out, things are hard, and in some respects maybe they’re right. But that military mindset…
Chief ‘Chayf’ Williams
In Navy boot camp, there are divisions of new recruits that are led normally by three to four higher enlisted personnel called Recruit Division Commanders or RDCs. One of my…
A Mother’s Prayer
Surprisingly, basic training was not as physically demanding as I had anticipated. It did, however, challenge me mentally. 10 weeks of being unable to physically talk to my support system…
My Military Experience
I never wanted to enlist, but I did. I served four years in the United States Army as an engineer diver. I went to basic training in Fort Leonard Wood,…
Introducing Veterans’ Voices
Every year among the first year class of Vassar students arrives a unique group of non-traditional students. Thanks to Vassar’s partnership with the Posse Veterans Foundation, anywhere from six to…
My Back is Breaking
“My back hurts.” That’s my usual response when asked about my time in service. A simple answer, funny yet deflective enough to not merit a follow-up. I don’t necessarily enjoy…