I Am a Soldier Against All Odds, and what follows is a genuine and frank account—the good, the very bad, and the very ugly—of my thirty-one years in uniform. Diagnosed at age seven with an acute learning disability and failing first grade, I was told that none of it would be possible. My story is one of perseverance, and a refusal to quit, no matter what—a characteristic gifted to me by my father.

My father, who climbed from poverty to provide for his family, taught my brother and me unconventional lessons through watermelon theft, midnight snacks, and mischievous adventures—always with the instruction 'Don't tell your mama!' These secret moments shaped our understanding of masculinity, survival, and family while creating a hidden world between fathers and sons that contrasted sharply with the structured environment my mother maintained.

Lt. Col. Jason Pike: Combat veteran, bestselling author of military memoirs sharing resilience through adversity and veteran resources.