Dan McKinlay

Dan McKinlay was in the US Army stationed out of Anchorage, Alaska. He speaks here of his transition back to stateside and then civilian life after deployment to Afghanistan. Daniel is the current president of the Portland State University Student Veterans Association.

Lucky: Brian Friend

Brian’s descriptions of life as a Marine in Iraq are consistently detailed and animated, whether he is speaking of bootcamp or, as in this clip, running security. Brian deployed to Iraq twice during his time in the service, the second time electing to extend his time there out of his sense of both duty and curiosity. Brian is studying Business now full-time at Portland State University.

Ramadan: Miah Washburn

Jeremiah Washburns recounting of patrolling during Ramadan in Iraq illustrates artfully the juxtaposition of the emotional and psychological intensity of combat with the sometimes absurd conditions of military life. Washburn is a single father of two, full-time student at Portland State University and still serves in the Oregon Army National Guard.

Opening Sequence

This clip features Jake Meeks, former president of the Student Veterans Association of Portland State University and the person who invited The Telling Project to Portland. This sequence is Jake’s description of his enlistment, and he is assisted by Shane Herman (sleazy recruiter), Miah Washburn (gullible recruit) and Arturo Franco (voice of reason).

Walking Through Grass: Mandy Martin

Being able to see clearly what is underfoot becomes survival reflex in Iraq. Mandy Martin, US Army and now a counselor at the Vets Center, describes how this simple re-orientation of her perspective changed both her and the world to which she returned when she came back to the States.

Acquiring Tools: Mike Friend (with Katrina Martin & Mandy Martin)

After serving in the military himself, Mike found himself in the unexpected position of being left home while his partner, Mandy Martin, was deployed to Iraq for a year. He speaks here frankly and with great understanding about some of the obstacles that, as a man, he had to face up to in being the spouse left at home.

Unpacking Bags: Jacob Meeks

The process of returning to life in the civilian world is different for every veteran, but shared is the fact of its being a dramatic adjustment. Jake Meeks works with veterans at the VA facility in Portland and founded the Student Veterans Association in part as effort to assist with that process. He speaks about his work, both on himself and with others, in this clip.

Commemoration: Brian Friend

Many veterans observe anniversaries.  Brian shares here the story of the loss of a close friend.

Stronger Inside: Joe Cantrell, Vietnam veteran

Joe served on a Navy destroyer and as skipper of a salvage boat in the during the Vietnam War from 1968-1971. He worked in Southeast Asia for the next 17 years as a foreign correspondent in photojournalism. Joe’s description of his reception in this country during his brief return from Vietnam is measured, thoughtful and poignant, as are his expressions of respect for the people who had once been his enemies.

Caring for the Enemy: Daniel Standridge

Dan Standridge served for a year in Baghdad as an intensive care nurse in two different detainee hospitals. In this clip, he describes in direct, moving terms the prolonged care he gave to a severe burn victim, and the social and personal dynamics that surrounded caring for the enemy. Please be aware that this clip contains graphic descriptions of injury.

Hugs and Kisses: Shane Herman

As we come to understand in listening to these veterans and family members tell their stories, experiences of war are as various as any experience. Shane Herman’s instinctive sense of timing renders his telling of his first encounter with combat at the forefront of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March of 2003 surprising and utterly fascinating. His recollection of the details of the experience is fine and precise, and he ends his story with a truly brilliant turn of phrase. Shane was a Neuro Biological Chemical Weapons Specialist in the Army.

Mission Cycle in Afghanistan: Dan McKinlay

Dan provides us here with a series of snapshots of Army life in southern Afghanistan. Atypically, Dan took it upon himself to learn Pashtun while he was deployed, which afforded him closer contact and communication with local civilians and militia members. In the midst of a war, some of Dan’s most vivid descriptions are elemental: food, weather, landscape and eyebrows. Also, due to the influence of Hondo, the Telling: Portland, OR mascot, this clip is somewhat more heavily edited than some.

Marine Bootcamp: Brian Friend

As many of our military veterans, Brian is a storyteller. Having served 2 deployments in Iraq, Brian’s interview lasted over 7 hours. This clip is a quick impression of some of the time he spent at bootcamp in San Diego, CA. Comic timing paired with a heartfelt sense of connection to his service, family and country imbue Brian’s telling with a tremendous warmth and humor.

Enlisting in the Army: Jacob Meeks

Jacob Meeks is the Director of the Student Veterans Association at Portland State University, a Masters candidate in Public Administration and the spearhead for the Telling: Portland, OR project and a veteran of Kosovo, Afghanistan and many other missions. This clip is his recounting of his enlistment in the US Army. It moves, as Jacob himself, from the absurd and humorous to the introspective and thoughtful in the space of a single thought. Jacob will probably not perform in Telling: Portland, OR as he will be serving with Mercy Corps in the Sudan at the time.

Over the Berm: Mandy Martin

This is our first clip from the now in-progress production in Portland, OR.  It is taken from an interview with Mandy Martin, a veteran of the US Army and the Army Reserves between 1994 and 2004. She served overseas in Haiti and Iraq and now works at the Vets Center, assisting other veterans with their readjustment to civilian life. In this clip, she describes beautifully the moment when she entered Iraq for the first, toward the very beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March of 2003.