Join us on Operation Insight as we host First Lieutenant Repps Hudson!
“In order to write about life, first you must live it.” Ernest Hemingway knew that from experience, one could say, life experience. While others drew inspiration from silence and solitude, Hemingway dwelt in the catastrophic and chaotic pulse of the front lines, literally. His swashbuckling ways began as a volunteer Red Cross ambulance driver during World War I. It wasn’t long before he was wounded by mortar fire whilst carrying a wounded soldier to safety. Later, during the Spanish Civil War, he braved the shelling of Madrid to report on the struggle against fascism. It was World War II, however, that truly cemented his status as a legendary—if reckless—figure of the battlefield. Hemingway’s daring acts during the Allied Forces' advance deep into Nazi territory could eclipse the cinematic nature of his own novels. Whether it was documenting the first waves of the D-Day invasion, personally aiding the French Resistance in the pursuit to liberate Paris, or earning the Bronze Star for his exemplary service as a wartime correspondent, Hemingway sought adventure. One might say he sought the story.
First Lieutenant Repps Hudson of Carrollton, Missouri, was much the same way: “I wanted to have the adventure. I wanted to have something to talk about. It never occurred to me to do anything less than that.” 1LT Hudson was born to a World War I veteran who, as a product of the nineteenth century, was stoic and taciturn, whereas Repps loved dialogue, discussion, and storytelling. A divide between father and son would develop and complicate their relationship. Soon, Repps took comfort in the works of Ayn Rand and Romantic Realism literature, which fueled Repps’ desire to become the hero of his own epic. Vietnam would soon present Repps with that opportunity. Ultimately, no article or novel could prepare 1LT Hudson for what he would experience during the war and even after. Please enjoy the story of Repps Hudson as told by the man himself!
(00:00) Disclaimer
(01:01) Introduction
(39:49) Feeling Terrified & Ten Feet Tall in Vietnam
(47:54) Soldiers Lost & Forgiveness Found
(56:37) The Futility & Tragedy of War
(1:06:57) Going Back
(1:17:38) The Wall
(1:31:28) Veterans History Project & Reflections of a Soldier
(1:37:45) Closing
