This letter is very late. It should have been written about ten years ago. I am a retired Soldier with 22 years in service.

I grew up in a small Virginia town with very little contact with the armed services. My Dad was a Special Forces soldier and Vietnam veteran who did not encourage or discourage military service. My mother, like a lot of people
here, had a poor view of the military after the conflict in Vietnam. She was a very outspoken opponent of my interest in the military. I knew I needed the challenge and adventure.