Page 157 - A Soldiers Exposition

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was born in a small southern town and I am the first member of his family to have graduated either high
school or college. I entered the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War. After a series of events, I
decided to make the Army a career. I proudly served eight years as an enlisted soldier and nearly
fourteen years as a Warrant Officer.

During my twenty-two-year career, my military assignments exposed me to interesting people, afforded
me the opportunity to visit locations around the world, and allowed me to experience numerous cultures.
Somehow, along the way, I earned a college degree, and a “life experiences” master’s degree.

I am a veteran with disabilities receiving excellent treatment from a Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.
I suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One of the motivations for this book is to provide
returning soldiers various sources of assistance for filing a VA disability claim. My application process
took over five years to finally provide all the necessary documentation to “prove for the record” and be
granted my VA disability for service-connected injuries.

Along the journey, this book will deliberate Wounds That Do Not Bleed and provide opinions and ideas for
strengthening America and being a proud American.

Basic Combat Training Photo
Fort Lewis, Washington – 1967

A well trained and indoctrinated soldier.
With concerns about what was to come.
A look into my eyes reveals uncertainty and resolve.
A closer look into those eyes discloses trepidation.
Army Values and The Soldier’s Creed would become my foundation for the next
Twenty-two years and beyond.
The pledge to support and defend was/is profound.