“I didn’t have family in the military. It was just something I knew I was going to do since I was in the second grade. It was during the Cold War and I used to make little drawings of the U.S. against Russia and I always saw us winning and coming out on top.
“I joined the U.S. Marine Corps when I was 22. I served four years as an infantryman and spent six months in Iraq. After I left the military, I worked as a retail detective back home in Michigan. I suffered from PTSD and hypervigilance. At work, all the hustle and bustle reminded me of the streets of Iraq and sent me into flashbacks where I’d get physically sick. I had a lot of trust issues with people.
“I’m hoping that with Patton, I can get back out in society. I don’t do anything. I stay at home all the time. My kids are young. When they get older they’re going to start playing football and different sports. I want to be able to go to their games without worrying about if someone is out to get me. “