American Airman: A Memoir of a Wounded Veteran

This is a story of vulnerability, a narrative of a chosen few and a refreshing reminder of the power of hope and resilience. Every servicemember has a story to tell. No veteran comes back the same as when they first enlisted. There are scars and wounds that, more often than not, go unseen, but the battle doesn’t end at discharge. Even more gripping is the tale of those veterans who cannot hide their trauma, their wounds. Wounded warriors are a specific group in a small minority of the American population whose narrative is overcast by popular media - PTSD, violence, psychosis, drugs and alcohol. Based on true events, this story begins with the life of a young man who, the 4th-generation male in his family to serve in the military, comes to realize that service in the armed forces is his best chance to forge a new life - an independent life - of his own. It tells how that young man serves and serves with excellence, building a career to honor the legacy of the men who came before him. This veteran takes us on a journey following his life in the Air Force up until he is wounded overseas in an off-duty accident. We follow him from injury through the mountainous task of transitioning back into civilian life. This story bears witness to the men and women who, in fighting for our rights and freedoms, make unbelievable sacrifices and then have to find the sense of a new normal in their lives.