Starting out growing up poor in Florida, this brief autobiography of the author's life follows the narrative of how going without and proper parenting instilled the values in him to work hard and succeed. Coming of age, he gets a part-time job at a grocery store to help support his family, but the Vietnam War has other plans for him. Drafted into service, he is able to avoid any kind of combat and begins a series of assignments and deployments that propels his twenty-one year military career to the rank of Master Sergeant. While stationed in South Korea, the author meets his future wife, and after retiring from the army, the two try to adapt to civilian life in the United States.
Written to be an inspirational tale of working hard to get what you want, this title takes a view of one man's military life, a decade or so at a time. There are a great number of details about deployments, units, and processes that help to flesh out the scenery and enlighten civilians. Adding to the motivational nature of the book, there are occasionally inspirational thoughts at the bottom of the page designed to motivate and reassure. At the end of the book, there is a wealth of additional information spread out across five appendices. From an in-depth history of the author's ancestors who fought for the Confederacy to photos that accompany some of the book's details, and even a selection of Jodie Calls or cadences taken from the author's experience. This is a great title for people who need the motivation to always keep working toward dreams, even when they seem unattainable.