What is Bellum Aeternum?
When brainstorming a proper title and theme for my page, I originally opted for Proposito Post Bellum, or Purpose After War. But my wife thought the title was too verbose and suggested I cut it to just Bellum, or War. A husband recognizes sage counsel when he receives it, so I opted for the change. Because, after all, war is a part of me. It will never leave me. War is like your hometown. You never forget its streets or its people. The highs and lows you experience in becoming, growing, and forming, transform you for good. Finding purpose after it is something everyone must do.
I thought about my original title attempt a little more. What is post bellum anyway? Is there ever an end to war? It certainly doesn’t seem that way. War is part of human culture. It’s imprinted on us. We war with each other, and we war with ourselves, with no end in sight. So, I decided to add one word to my wife’s wise suggestion: Aeternum. War is never-ending. It could be a geographical conflict between warring states or superpowers; a battle between neighbors, families, or friends; or it could be a war inside, fighting addiction, unhealthy behavior, and inner rebellion keeping you from the best version of yourself. In this, we sometimes win. Sometimes, we lose. But there is always a conflict on the horizon, because the cycle of war and peace is just that, a cycle. Never-ending. Continuous.
Born into peace as a child and into war as an adult, I’m a product of both. But after retiring from two decades in the SEAL teams, my more formative birth was that of war. It taught me many lessons. The most glaring was my discovery that I was an addict. I was addicted to the violence of war (and to some extent, still am). I found that when I no longer had an outlet for that addiction, it leaked out of me in ways that put myself and my family in harm’s way. Bellum Aeternum is a mechanism for me to soothe that craving by expressing thoughts related to service and war, both external and internal. Writing continues to be a powerful outlet for me, and sprinkled in my musings on Bellum Aeternum will be short stories and pieces from larger works of fiction dished out in chunks. In short, Bellum Aeternum is non-fiction and fiction delivered to you in the form of wisdom dumps and story. I hope you enjoy.
Who I am and why should you care?
My name is Cory Zillig. I am a Nebraska native and 20-year veteran of the SEAL teams. Life after retirement proved harder than I thought, and I struggled to find purpose. Ultimately, I had to go back to who I was before I was a SEAL to find it. I was creative in my youth, enjoying drawing and writing. I leaned into it, started writing, and found joy in the act of storytelling.
My stories, although not necessarily about my service, are heavily influenced by it. War leaves its mark, and without warriors telling their stories, history would be bland—to an even greater degree—boring. Where would we get the gritty details, the acts of heroism, and the tales of superhuman feats found on a battlefield?
Special operations veterans love to throw their own under the bus when they write, but many of these same warriors were inspired to become who they are because they read tales of adventure and soldiery told through the eyes of the deed doer himself. Warriors should share their stories and their challenges. It teaches us about the world, about bellum aeternum, and ways we can deal with it. That said, self-aggrandizement is a major turn-off. I think every sensible person reading this understands what I mean when I talk about veterans writing, whether it be a book, a blog, or Substack page.
As a reader, I hope you can see the wisdom in listening to a warrior’s story. We’re always willing to enter unfriendly territory, crash and burn, rise up and blow you away (figuratively, of course) with good and meaningful content.
So, what’s in it for you?
With only 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week, time is limited. As much as I want to say this isn’t transactional, it is. You’re busy and have little time for the blathering of a barbarian. So, what’s in it for you? As cliche as it sounds, it depends. What are you searching for? Knowledge? Wisdom? Entertainment? I hope to be a vehicle helping you toward that destination. The keys to that vehicle are within you. Fire it up and open yourself to new perspectives, new ideas, and new ways of thinking. Read, comment, and share. Substack is a place for ideas. If you have them inside you, show them the light of day. Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
