My interview is with someone that all Fanstorians know as Nomi 338. He is not only one of the most honest and humble men I have ever met, he is also one of the most fascinating.

 I believe that you will completely agree after reading this interview. Although we all know him as Nomi, today we will address him by his real name, Nolan.
                        ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nolan, I thank you for agreeing to do this interview with me.

 I understand that you are in the process of writing an autobiography?  I also know that you have an incredible story to tell.  I am so excited that you are willing to share a little piece of it with us today.  I will try to be specific at first, but then I will ask you to elaborate on what you feel are the most important aspects of your life.

I would like to start by asking you about the time you spent serving your country. What branch were you in, how many years did you serve, and where were you stationed?

I was in the Air Force. I served on active duty for a period of four years. After my training was completed, my first duty station was at the Kadena Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan. I served there for eighteen months.

My next duty station was at the Grand Forks Air Force base in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I was there for the remaining twenty months of my active-duty requirement. My position or designation was Air Policeman. My duties were primarily, that of a glorified security guard

When hearing about the following story, I was so intrigued that I could hardly wait to ask about it. Could you please tell us about your courageous acts of becoming a whistleblower?

In all honesty, I was not an ideal recruit. I was not prepared to be in the military. I joined initially to escape poverty. I was seventeen, had never lived on my own, and I had very limited life skills. Using a policy very similar to holding a student back a grade, I was rescheduled for additional training twice.

The last time I wound up under a sergeant whose name I can no longer recall. This sergeant was very physical. Unlike most of our drill instructors (DIs), he disciplined not with shouts, threats and punishments. He did those things as well, but he also was known for applying slaps, and other means of physical abuse.

 I was talked into reporting his abuse, and a report was filed; charges were made and then a trial was arraigned. This sergeant had been charged a total of 66 times and had never faced trial. Each time he had been able to get his accusers to recant their charges. In me, his superiors saw someone he could not bully.

 A campaign was waged by him and his supporters to get me to recant like all the others had. I refused. I was warned by several sergeants to watch my back, because “Nobody liked crybabies who couldn’t take it.”

The sergeant even went as far as to introduce me to his son, telling me how his boy would suffer if he was convicted. I reminded him of the suffering of the sons of others who endured the abuse by his hands.

He then recruited a group of ‘Good ole boys’ from the South to try some KKK style persuasion. Talk about bad timing, they tried to attack me while I was visiting with my initial group of trainees. You know, those Detroit and St. Louis boys, whom I had stayed in touch with. They were getting ready to leave in a few days, to go to their permanent assignments and I was saying my goodbyes.

 They let these klan wannabes know that I was not alone. I had good friends who would protect me. Those ‘Good Ole boys’ from the South,  suddenly realized there was somewhere else they had to be.

Were you raised with these great ethics or how did you come to have such valuable morals at such a young age?

I hate bullies and nothing will make me fight harder than going up against one. My mother taught me that a bruise you get from fighting a bully, is a bruise you can wear with pride. My mom was tiny, but fierce.

From your childhood to present day, is there anything that we haven't covered that you would like to add?

Yes, there was something that I forgot to mention earlier. This all started in 196o in San Antonio, Texas.  It was four years before President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill. Black people were still being lynched at this time. This was three years after my cousin, Carolotta Walls, one of the "Little Rock Nine," integrated Central High School.

Do you recall what it was that inspired you to start writing? 

When I was about fourteen years old, I developed a love of doo wop music. After a while I became somewhat critical of some of the lyrics.

I felt I could write better than what was being recorded and sold. It was at that time that I began writing lyrics of my own.

 When an older friend who was trying to impress his girl asked me to write a song for her, I did. She liked it so much; he paid me to not let anyone know that I was the one who wrote it.

Over time the songs morphed into poems, essays and short stories.

When looking back at your life and your many remarkable experiences, how did they influence or affect your writing?

Over time, I have become much more affected by the things I have witnessed and experienced.
So much so, that those things have naturally impacted what I write about. Love, hate, social injustice, you name it and I probably have written a poem or two about it.

Will you be adding any of your poetry to your book?

Oh yes. There are two poems in particular; “If Life Ever Gives Me The Chance” and “Where You Goin’ Boy?”

These two poems chronicle the abuse and resulting acts of retaliation waged against me for the eventual trial and conviction of that one sergeant, which I feel began the end of that type of behavior in the military

You recently considered dropping your FS membership but decided not to. What were your thoughts at the time?

I had given thought to ending my affiliation with FanStory, but then I rubbed the bump on my head, renewed my subscription, and continued writing.

That would have been a great loss to all who have come to know you here at FS.

Is there anything else that you would like to share, either from your book or in general?

I would like for it to be known and understood, that I do not fault the United States military for any of my negative experiences. It is the negative personalities who are members of that body who would be no doubt, doing the same type of things no matter what organization they were a part of.

If you find any of what I have discussed interesting, you will want to read the book that is the story of my crazy life. The book will be titled, hopefully “Another Lost Boy.”

Thank you so much Nolan, for your time and also for sharing your remarkable life and experiences with us. 

I'd also like to thank you again for agreeing to do this interview with me.

Any last minute words of wisdom that you can share, that has helped you to keep your postitive attitude throughout your lifetime?

I love people of all sorts and it kills me to see anyone being mistreated. Especially if I can do something to help them.

Do you have any closing comments that you would like to add before we end this?

No, I am done for now.

Maybe for now, but this is certainly not the last we have heard from our friend, Nolan.  
I'm sure I speak for everyone, when I say that I am looking forward to reading his autobiography when it is released.