Handguns have always been woven into the fabric of American military history. George Washington’s flintlock pistols; the cap-and-ball revolvers that made cavalry so effective during the War Between the States; and the pistol or revolver Gen. Pershing wanted in WWI on the hip of every doughboy in the trenches. Personal handguns were also prized in WWII, most famously the ivory-handled Colt Single Action Army .45 and Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum of Gen. George Patton. In Korea, and later in Vietnam, the most cherished possession of many soldiers was a sidearm often sent from home: then-new stainless steel S&W .38s were as much appreciated in the humid delta as among stateside cops.

Today, our armed forces are deeply embroiled in a 2-theater war, and judging by photos from the fronts, Beretta M9 pistols are being very widely issued to supplement the M4 carbine. Constant house-clearing in one theater and cave-searching in the other has led to them being used more heavily than in most other 20th Century conflicts, according to anecdotal reports.

This is the story of one newly-minted Army officer, and the handgun given to him by the woman who loves him.

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