the storm before the calm

Zippo Lighters From The Vietnam War by Bradford Edwards

These customised Zippo lighters all belonged to soldiers in the US Army during the Vietnam War. The collection consists of over 282 lighters, and were gathered from war zones by American artist Bradford Edwards. I find it fascinating how each lighter reflects the emotions of their respective owner. With many soldiers being drafted in to service there is a clear feeling of betrayal and hopelessness, and a longing for the lives they were forced to leave behind. A regular sentiment engraved on the lighters which reflects this feeling is “We the unwilling led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate die for the ungrateful”

[via: HUH Magazine]

(via pinkwhig)

08/27/12

crookedindifference:

Trinity was the code name of the first detonation of a nuclear device. This test was conducted by the United States Army on July 16, 1945. The date of the test is usually considered to be the beginning of the Atomic Age.

The above picture is the Trinity explosion, 0.016 seconds after detonation. The fireball is about 600 feet (200 m) wide. The black specks silhouetted along the horizon are trees.

(via pieceinthepuzzlehumanity-deacti)

03/5/12

politics-war:

Imam Hashim Raza leads mourners in prayer during a funeral for Mohsin Naqvi at al-Fatima Islamic Center in Colonie, N.Y. Naqvi was a Muslim, a native of Pakistan (he emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 8 years old and became a citizen at 16) and a U.S. Army officer. He was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol last week in Afghanistan.

(via pieceinthepuzzlehumanity-deacti)

02/24/12

(via nevver)

02/24/12

(via mycardiganromance)

02/21/12

“

Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.

Carl Sagan

(via pieceinthepuzzlehumanity-deacti)

01/15/12