Patriot Son: Memoirs of a Veteran

Patriot Son is a chronological map of the author's life as, first, a daydreaming idealist, a soldier, a husband and father, and ultimately, a retired middle school teacher. As his family grows, the reader is taken from one assignment to another across the globe. Adventures of an army family add realism and sometimes humor to the account. Included in the story are letters to and from home during the Gulf War, outlining the frustrations on both the homefront and a potential war zone. Much of the story is taken from diaries kept by the author beginning in 1986. The final chapter of Patriot Son is dedicated to a fellow veteran, one who served in Vietnam but battled ghosts of that tragic time in American history. The author offered to take his friend to Washington, DC, to put those terrible memories to rest. His friend was not able to confront the demons of the past in that manner, so the author interviewed him for several days, producing a story dedicated to all Vietnam vets who have fought the same battle for so long. Patriot Son serves as a dedication to veterans of all foreign wars, particularly Vietnam. Please join all Americans in welcoming these brave men home, at last.