There are the two stars, one on the back of each arm. KC got them in St. Louis during his rest-and-recuperation leave from Iraq to honor his Northern California roots and the mother back in Sacramento he says he wants to make proud. On the front of his right arm, a 1st Infantry Division crest commemorates the buddies he served with during 15 months in Baghdad. But it’s KC’s left arm, where a $400, custom-designed tattoo that stretches from his clavicle to just above his elbow tells stories of loss most civilians his age would never understand. A Gothic-looking character KC said represents him looks down on seven faces, all connected by curlicues called “cancer” in tattoo parlance. “It’s a thread that holds everything together,” he said. “They all represent different friends I’ve lost,” KC said of the ghoulish faces. Not all the faces were combat losses, and not all were actually friends, but they all made deep enough an impression on KC for him to carry their memories on his arms for the rest of his days.

Though the Army has issued new rules and regulations on tattoos, they will always be a part of military life. Tattoos can tell a whole story of trials and tribulations, they can be a memorial, or they can be a tribute to a better time. Many soldiers get tattoos to commemorate their service or to represent their brother and sisters in the service. What stories do your tattoos tell?

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