500 miles — Ben
Sorry the audio was removed, see @jtwrites21 on Instagram or TikTok for sound version!
CW: Minor blood
I think this song matches the journey of many Scars of Freedom characters -- the reality of leaving everything familiar behind and going into an unknown, dangerous world thousands of miles away from home to fight. Furthermore, the idea of home is a confusing thing for a lot of characters, especially Ben O’Malley. He has always been told by his football teammates that he should go back to Ireland where he came from, that he ‘stole’ a spot on the Varsity football team, and faces other struggles that make it so that New York never truly felt like ‘home’ to him.
See below for explanations for each frame! Note that I might change Ben’s parents’ designs.
🗽The first drawing shows Ben and his parents coming to the U.S. from Ireland, where in light of the American Dream they still face hatred for being immigrants.
🕊️The second drawing is Ben and his dad. The two of them are very close, and from a young age Ben always looked up to his dad and depended on him for support.
🗽The third is how Ben is manipulated and trapped by religion. The priest, Father Isaac, is his uncle and the head of his Parish, and has always reprimanded Ben for questioning religion. Ben also has a very strained relationship with his mom. Ben grows to be agnostic and politically liberal, but despite that he is still trapped by religion, thinking that he needs to ‘redeem’ himself or else he’ll go to hell, and that every little mistake he makes will send him to hell.
🕊️The fourth is Ben with his close friend, Lawrence ‘Lawrie’ Belitz, whom he serves with in the U.S. Army. The two met in high school and quickly became friends. They talk about all sorts of things -- their future, their dreams, baseball, the things they wish they could do. Ben often confides in Lawrie about his fears of going to hell, of thinking he is a bad person who needs ‘redemption’, of his family disapproving of his girlfriend Lucy because she is not Catholic.
🗽And the fifth is of Ben going into war, where his fears amplify tenfold, where he quickly realizes that war is no adventure like the stories say it is, but rather a living, man-made hell right here on earth.
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Scars of Freedom: It is 1942 and the world is engulfed in flames. Driven, passionate, and idealistically patriotic, young Lawrence ‘Lawrie’ Belitz is not just an outcast but a promising, talented writer living in Manhattan. Hoping to rise the ranks of society and eager to take up arms to serve his country, he and his friends Ben O’Malley and Stan Carter join the U.S. Army together.
Evan Levy, Sam the medic, Lt. Artie Woods, Sergeant Walker among others, as well as Lawrie and his pals Ben and Stan, become the members of 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, Able Company. Lawrie, once outcast and bullied, proves himself to be a capable soldier and leader, earning him respect in Able Company.
Soon enough, Lawrie and his squad embark on what is now known as D-Day and they see the brutality unfold in Normandy. As he and his fellow soldiers push deeper into Nazi-occupied Europe, he soon begins to realize how brutal and futile war and heroism is. He fights not only to protect freedom as he knows it, but to preserve what’s left of his humanity.
🗽🕊️📰🕊️🗽
#scarsoffreedom #ilovewritinghistoricalfiction #WIP #writerscommunity
Reading about Ben O’Malley’s story in "Scars of Freedom" really resonated with me, especially considering the immigrant experience and internal conflicts he faces. The portrayal of Ben coming through Ellis Island and trying to find a place he can call home underlines the complex reality many immigrants confront, even in a country that promises freedom and opportunity. Like Ben, many immigrants feel caught between two worlds—the culture they left behind and the one they are trying to embrace. Ben’s struggle with religion and the pressure to conform to expectations reminded me of how faith can be both a source of comfort and a source of fear. The depiction of his agnostic beliefs clashing with his family’s Catholic values highlights the internal battles people often keep private. It’s a powerful reminder of the emotional toll that such conflicts can take, especially when combined with external prejudice and the harshness of war. The friendship between Ben and Lawrie adds a deeply human element to the story, showing how bond and trust can provide strength in the face of tremendous adversity. Their conversations about the future and the fears they share reflect how soldiers cope with uncertainty, making them more than just characters—they become real people. As someone interested in historical fiction, I appreciate how this narrative captures not just the large-scale events of WWII but also the quieter, profound moments—the loss, the hope, and the search for identity. The references to iconic places like Manhattan and Ellis Island enrich the setting and help visualize Ben’s journey. If you’ve ever felt out of place or struggled with your identity, Ben’s story is a compelling reminder that such feelings are part of the human experience. It's also a testament to the resilience of those who fight not only external battles but the ones inside themselves, striving to find meaning and peace amid chaos.
