Operation Homecoming The Operation Homecoming book project asked troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to write down their experiences. U.S. service men and women submitted more than 12,000 pages for the project. The book was just selected as a nonfiction Best of 2006 by Washington Post Book World. NPR profiles five of the contributors.

Special Series

Operation Homecoming

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Book Project Inspires War Veteran to Write

December 18, 2006 • Army Major Robert Schaefer's poem "Clusters" is featured in the book >Operation Homecoming, a collection of recent writings by U.S. troops. The NEA project inspired Schaefer to relay his war experiences through writing.

Book Project Inspires War Veteran to Write

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A Navy Doctor's Tour on a Ship Called Comfort

December 25, 2006 • Edward Jewell's journal entries about life as a combat doctor during the Iraq War are featured in Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front.

A Navy Doctor's Tour on a Ship Called Comfort

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Opinion

Army Specialist Finds Signs of Life in Iraq's Ruins

January 1, 2007 • Helen Gerhardt enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 2000. She was 33 years old. Three years later, having just completed her degree, she found herself in the Middle East with the Missouri Army National Guard, 1221st Transportation Company.

Army Specialist Finds Signs of Life in Iraq's Ruins

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Sergeant Sorts Through War's Chaos in Letter Home

January 8, 2007 • Like soldiers throughout time, former Sgt. John McCary wrote a lot of letters home while fighting in the Iraq War. During his tour of duty, he sent one e-mail to his family that was different from the rest. The letter was included in the book Operation Homecoming.

Sergeant Sorts Through War's Chaos in Letter Home

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Sergeant Notes Odd Rituals of War in Afghanistan

January 15, 2007 • In 2003, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Clint Douglas was deployed to Afghanistan. He found that the complications of fighting the Taliban were magnified by odd interactions with local leaders.

Sergeant Notes Odd Rituals of War in Afghanistan

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