#world war story

[bloominglegumes]

i love normal guys doomed by the narrative

[the-professor-of-gallifrey]

United

Hi everyone!

I recently started updating my Ranger’s Apprentice fanfiction, United, again.

I just posted chapter twelve. It’s on both fanfiction.net and AO3 if anyone is interested!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45057010/chapters/113350690

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13507368/1/United

[my-darling-boy]

A couple of vintage inspired Christmas cards for our degree exhibition shop!

[mypositiveoutlooks]

WWII veteran reunites with French mystery woman he met in 1944 - 'I carried her photo in my wallet for 78 years'

A World War II veteran met a mystery woman in 1944 but after a brief interaction, they separated and did not see each other again. Finally, after 78 years, they reunited and recounted the unforgettable moment they shared during World War II. YouTube 99-year-old Reginald Pye recalled the time she met a French mystery woman. Just two weeks after the Normandy invasion in France, 21-year-old Pye saw…

[bongosinferno]

A devastating and confusing thing about the Fallout setting, when you explore the pre-war aspects, is what the creators think about pre-war America. In the first games we only get hints of the pre-war world, but they seem to be some sort of wild fascist nation invading Canada. In Fallout 1, the first thing we're introduced to of the pre-war society is seeing a soldier shoot civilians and laughing.

Now, for the first 2 games and New Vegas we don't really know much. What we know is that there's a fascist military group known as the enclave who were a sort of US deep state even before the war, and that the government teamed up with corporate interests to preform vaguely MKULTRA-ish experiments with the Vaults. Basically, the government was an extreme version of the 50s American jingoism and McCarthyism.

This is well and dandy, I guess issues come up more when we get to the later games, especially 4, where it seems like none of this extreme plotting and societal civil unrest which would exist is seen. The society as presented in 4 also seems quite progressive, gay people are featured in the opening, and none of the baggage of say, civil rights not existing are included. Now on a baseline, I don't want settings to be more conservative, homophobic and sexist etc., but it becomes a very confusing setting when it's displayed both as this jingoist extreme thing with fascist tendencies aswell as a progressive place where everyone is seemingly equal. If you're focusing on the 50s as your setting, and American nationalism in the 50s, then you can't have McCarthyism spoofs and anti-communism as a societal paranoia norm while also general equality is the norm without misunderstanding why McCarthyism and nationalist jingoism is bad. A massive harm done in anti-communist paranoia is how it degrades and vilifies any progressive movements (women's rights, civil rights, homosexuality) as being morally un-American and therefore connected to communism. To ignore this just makes any critique of MacCarthyism and jingoism weird!

Basically, pre-war America in Fallout 4 becomes this both sides thing where America is both pure and equal and white fences in every instance that we see as the player (the intro), while also supposedly being this dystopic MacCarthyist hellscape that's broadcasting gladly about their war crimes in Canada, and wants to root out communism. I guess the only fix for this issue without getting into the fine print like they had to do is just not to focus too much on the pre-war world.

[here-comes-the-moose]

Echo during his time with the 501st: doing body shots, dancing on tables, blowing things up in the barracks with Fives, creating chaos with Fives, doing keg stands, complaining about them leaving the club “too early” even though it’s four in the morning, being the reason that new rules were added to the reg manuals, generally being an absolute terror

Echo during most of his time with the Bad Batch: tucking kids in, telling bedtime stories, always carrying healthy snacks, in bed by nine, putting people in time-out, telling “kids” to behave, tending to sick “kids”, being the only one to put their foot down and shut down any shenanigans, generally being a mom and an absolute angel (of course this is when he isn’t being the absolute badass that he is and always had been since let’s not forget that he’s an ARC Trooper)

[cross-d-a]

something something about Caleb Dume surviving the genocide of his people and divorcing himself from his culture and remaking himself entirely in order to survive

and something something about orphaned Ezra Bridger who loves Lothal but doesn’t quite belong being adopted into a self-made-cobbled-together family of outcasts from multiple cultures

and something something about Kanan choosing to embrace his culture and religion again despite his fear and the risk it brings to him and his family

and something something about Ezra embracing that culture as whole-heartedly as he can when so much of it has been lost

and something something about both of being denied the ability to practice certain aspects of their religion because otherwise they might be killed for it

and something something about Kanan remembering how Master Billaba carefully sheared his hair and oh so reverently plaited his Padawan braid and held it gently between her fingertips and told him she would do right by him and told him not to be afraid and told him she would be there for him until her dying breath and beyond and told him that he was going to be a great Jedi Knight one day and told him “you are our future youngling and I will do everything in my power to protect that future”

and something something about Kanan looking at Ezra’s wild hair with something hollow and aching tucked between his ribs because he longs to show Ezra the devotion his Master showed him and her Master showed before her and his Master before him but it’s not safe to gently plait that Padawan braid behind Ezra’s ear because such a sign of devotion will mean death and Kanan can only hope that Ezra understands how much Kanan loves him and how much Kanan is proud of him and how much hope and life he sees in his Padawan because while that Padawan braid may be the physical link between future and past tying together generations of Masters and Padawans who have lived and loved and passed on because “we are what they grow beyond”—

Kanan knows that every moment has led to this and Ezra is the future his Master and her Master before her never expected but they would be so proud to see Ezra now and Kanan can only hope Ezra knows how proud Kanan is of him too and know when he looks at Ezra he knows everything is going to be okay because “we are what they grow beyond” and despite everything that’s been lost to them Ezra is carrying the heart and soul of thousands of years of legacy and Kanan looks at Ezra knowing he can’t give him that Padawan braid but he’ll be damned if he can’t teach him the things that matter and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t do everything to protect the future he sees in Ezra’s eyes

[giotanner]

Red Hood and Ghost - shoot 2 (entire video here)

Support me on KO-FI

[thebramblewood]

The night where it all began, part one.

Previous / Next

Caleb: Mother and Father wouldn’t approve of you going out alone at night.

Lilith: Which is precisely why Mother and Father need not find out.

Caleb: Surely you can miss one party.

Lilith: I can, but why should I? I’m not like you, Caleb. It takes more than a book to satisfy my pleasure. There’s still time for you to dress. [teasingly] Besides, you’ll never find a proper young lady to court if you refuse to leave the house.

Caleb: And you’ll never attract an upstanding suitor so long as you keep shamelessly flirting in public with married men.

Lilith: Oh, but it’s such fun!

[both laughing]

Lilith: [melodramatically] Poor Mother and Father, burdened with two prospectless children. I almost pity them. They’ll certainly die of shame if the family line ends with us. Of course, they haven’t lost all hope. I may be doomed to crusty old widowers, but they’re still trotting out pretty girls for you. You might just marry yet.

Caleb: [mumbles] Isn’t that a loathsome thought?

Lilith: At least they’d leave you be. There are only so many reasons a young man willingly resigns himself to perennial bachelorhood, and they’re beginning to grow suspicious.

Caleb: We both have our proclivities.

Lilith: Yes. But people talk, and their talk is far less likely to wound you if you’re the one directing its aim.

Caleb: Oh, is that what’s happening when they call you the femme fatale of the ball in the society pages?

Lilith: There are far worse things to be called. Count yourself lucky they’ve only latched onto your social ineptitude thus far, wilted wallflower.

-

Caleb: Be careful.

Lilith: Now, where’s the fun in that?

Caleb: Lil-

Lilith: I can take care of myself.

[theworldofwars]

postcard of a group prisoners of war at Friedrichsfeld POW camp. The groups consists of primarily British troops, and a Sikh soldier all in front of a sign saying 'A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL FREIDRICHSFELD 1915-1916'.

[rosemilo]

A character journey can't get any more epic than that of Loki ♡

[the-far-bright-center]

Today I learned that this infamously stupid take (re: the 2003 Tartakovsky Clone Wars scene in which Anakin gifts his padawan braid to Padme after being knighted) is apparently not as uncommon as one would hope...

Ah yes, a prime example of "Obi-Wan-stan-itis", aka the condition of demanding that Anakin, Padme, the Anidala relationship, and the entirety of Star Wars canon center Obi-Wan Kenobi at all times. This is quite a serious conditon that leads affected fans to throw delusional, misogynistic tantrums when they learn that George Lucas' Star Wars does not, in fact, center Obi-Wan, and that it's actually about *gasp* Anakin and the Skywalker family!

On a more serious note, insane takes like these illustrate what, in my opinion, is one of the biggest divides in contemporary Star Wars fandom: aka, whether people view Star Wars as Lucas intended, as being a generational saga about Anakin/Vader and the Skywalker family, OR whether they view it as some kind of free-for-all where they can pretend their personal fave is the main character and that everything must revolve around them, instead. This phenomenon is found most frequently amongst the more unhinged section of the Obi-Wan fandom, but it is also common amongst rabidly pro-Jedi types who operate under the mistaken impression that 'the Jedi' as a concept exist separately from the Skywalker saga. When in reality, features like 'Padawan braids' were created FOR scenarios just like this one.... for Anakin to ignore or not even give two shits about the custom and do his own thing, to show his love for Padme above all. Lucas enjoyed showing how much Anakin and Padme care about each other via these kinds of small but significant romantic details. After all, it's 'love can ignite the stars', not 'strictly adhering to Jedi traditions can ignite the stars', folks. ;p

[my-darling-boy]

(TW injury description)

I am SO glad you asked I lose my mind over this man. Sidney Beldam! He’s most known for his miraculous recovery from a major facial injury sustained while he served as a young sergeant in the First World War. If you’ve read the Facemaker by Lindsay Fitzharris you might recognise him! Sources differ slightly about his story, so I’ve pieced it together as best I could. The photos below were from about February 1919!

Born in 1897, Sidney was about 17 living with his mother in Cambridge, England when the Great War commenced. While he didn’t enlist initially, he was soon conscripted when it came about in 1916 though thankfully he was in a non-combatant role driving lorries transporting soldiers to boats headed for France. It’s where he learned he enjoyed driving! However in April 1917, Sidney was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and eventually rose to the rank of sergeant where only 7 months later, his life would change forever.

During the battle of Passchendaele, one of the muddiest most gruelling segments of the war, Sidney was on the frontlines when a shell burst, sending a shrapnel fragment tearing diagonally through his nose and the right side of his face. The young soldier collapsed face first into the mud which ended up saving his life as falling backwards would have caused him to choke on his own blood. For three days Sidney laid in a mangled heap floating in and out of consciousness while vermin scurried about his body and the other dead and wounded around him. No one would ever know the details of those agonising three days, but the trauma he experienced there left him with a lifelong phobia of rats and cockroaches. After the initial wounded had been cleared out, a wandering band of stretcher bearers discovered Sidney alive after one man touched him with his boot fully expecting him to be dead. Miraculously, he was still clinging to life.

The 19 year old sergeant was rushed down the line and then transferred to two different military hospitals where his wounds were hastily stitched in an effort to save his life before infection could spread. Unfortunately, closing the gap where he was missing flesh in his cheek caused his upper lip to be pulled into a sneer and a sunken depression formed where most of his nose was missing around the bridge. Still, he was lucky to be alive, which he later used to remark. Well he was luckier still as he would be transferred to Sidcup military hospital in Kent where he would become a patient under Sir Harold Gillies, the man often considered the pioneer of modern plastic surgery. When he arrived at hospital in 1918, his wounds were healed but his face still bore the heavy trauma of his experience. If you want to see his photographs upon arrival, I won’t post them here but if you search his name, the photos are everywhere. IMO they’re not graphic but I know it can upset some people.

Gillies went to work trying to restore Sidney’s face. This required him to reopen the wound in his cheek where a skin flap was grafted to allow his upper lip to return to normal. He also folded down a skin flap from his forehead in order to create a new nose. Behind his facade, a series of tubes and canals had to be inserted for proper sinus drainage and other unnamed functions. While his initial handful of surgeries did most of the work to reconstruct his face, Sidney underwent over 40 surgeries between 1918 and the 1930s, some reconstructive and some to evacuate the tubes behind the flesh, meaning the common cold was a routinely painful affliction for him. Gillies understood operations were traumatic for the men at Sidcup, especially since most required more than one, and so made a point about creating a lighthearted ward environment, one Sidney says was quite jolly with the staff doing everything they could to make them feel comfortable and dignified as possible. And while I thought the topmost photos were the most updated case study photos for his recovery, I stumbled upon another set from 1920 in the Faces of War by Andrew Bamji I have not seen posted anywhere!

And lads listen. In such a sweet little twist, while Sidney was still recovering from the bulk of his major surgeries, a local pianist by the name of Winifred volunteered to play for the resting servicemen, all of whom had some form of disfigurment or amputation. Carrying in her sheet music, she and Sidney laid eyes on each other for the first time and she later remarked how his smile instantly lit up the whole room! For them, it was love at first sight. The two were soon married, and although it was in the 1920s, I don’t have an exact year for this. This most likely came after Sidney was finally discharged from service in 1921. There is a photo of their wedding and y’all look how SWEET!!

Between his initial surgeries and army discharge, Gillies asked if Sidney would be his personal chauffeur, an offer he took up quickly as he loved driving from his time with lorries during the war. One somewhat humorous account tells of Gillies—who was a bit scattered at times—asking Sidney to renew his driver’s license as the surgeon left it until the last day to take care of; Sidney in a rush waited in a long line at the county hall before jumping the queue and begging the administrator to expedite his employer’s license as it was needed to drive him to the hospital the next day. The man refused, even for a surgeon to get him to his patients. Sidney went to another staff member who was friends with Gillies and begged him the same. The man cheerily agreed but was still in need of a signature from the stubborn administrator who again refused... at least until he found out Harold Gillies nearly won a golfing championship, at which point he took Sidney to his personal office to expedite the license as he was happy to do business for a skilled golfer (apparently saving people’s lives doesn’t matter as much??). A no doubt perplexed Sidney was finally able to get back to the hospital on time!

After his army discharge and most likely about the time of his marriage, Sidney moved back to Cambridge where he worked for the council as a rent collector. He was so well liked, apparently even from the people he collected from, that he soon worked his way to Housing Manager for Cambridge. About this time, he had a daughter, Pam. Every account I read of him, people gush about how sweet he was. His wife recalls how Sidney was always adored by all his family and friends. His granddaughter Marilyn McInnes in an interview said, “He was the most warm and optimistic and loving man. I adored my grandfather, I was constantly on his lap as a small child. I never noticed anything funny about his face, I guess I thought all grandads looked like mine.”

Sadly, Sidney Beldam passed away from cancer at about 80 years old in 1978. But considering the man was given 6 months to live and ended up living for 60 years more surrounded by a large and loving family, I’d say he certainly had a full life. There is a picture of him and his wife in the 60s and they are absolutely charming!!

But anyway that’s me done rambling I’ve a massive crush on him. His story makes me genuinely happy to tell and I’m so glad you asked!

[cacodaemonia]

is it just me, or is anyone else sick of all the new SW shows being about how the space fascists have a point, actually? 😑

[theropoda]

Literally like the one good thing abt reading abt celebrities is sometimes they just have such interesting bizarre lives it's just fun to read about AND it's A+ character/writing insp tbh

[budugaapologist]

still dont see how so many people say that dawntrail is poorly written in comparison to other expansions like. what, did you realize you had to learn about a new culture and immediately not care anymore lmao? you've done it before, was this one not white enough for you?

genuinely i think more people should do side quests during msq so idk you can form a heart about the characters you're interacting with if you struggle with that and understand the land better so when impactful shit happens your illiterate ass can actually read and have empathy. theres no excuse for this.

if you can't handle storybuilding and character introductions from the expansion that feels like stormblood and shadowbringers had passionate gay sex that got one of them pregnant and birthed a beautiful daughter they both love and care about then idk what to tell you, maybe youre just lame and can't read. best of luck with that.