Gerardo Mena
Gerardo Mena is a decorated Iraqi Freedom veteran. He spent six years in Spec Ops with the Reconnaissance Marines and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal with a V for Valor for multiple acts of bravery. He’s won or placed in several national poetry competitions, has been nominated for a Pushcart, and was selected for last year’s Best New Poets 2011. He has work published or forthcoming from Cream City Review, Raleigh Review, Diagram, Louisiana Review, and others. For more info go to www.gerardomena.com.
January's End
“ The poem 'January's End' is about a good friend of mine, Gary Johnston, who was Killed in Action in Iraq during our deployment together back in 2007. He was such a great person, and friend, that I wanted to memorialize him with words, music, and pictures. The finished product is my recorded acoustic guitar, my poem and vocals, and Gary's best friend Brian's pictures. I combined all three to try and tell the story of an amazing Reconnaissance Marine. We should all hope to someday be loved as much he was, and missed as much he is. ”