I grew up the oldest child of a poor single woman in Louisiana. It's my journey through a miserable childhood to emerge victorious over such odds because I joined the military and made a new life for myself.

Still, it wasn't an easy life. Since I was not a military "brat" and had no real knowledge of what military life was like, I was often confused, especially when stationed in foreign countries.

It was also a lonely life since I had severed contact with my foster families and my biological family did not approve of my jioning the Navy since they would have preferred to control me.

At the time I did not know that I suffered PTSD from all the abuse from my early childhood years and my teen years in abusive foster homes where sexual abuse and molestation was the norm. I was to understand that many years after the abuse and found help through the VA.

Although I served a total of 20 years combined active duty and reserve, this book covers the first ten years on active duty.