While working as a recruiter Billy came across many hard luck cases. Individuals who wanted to join the military not so much out of a sense of duty, but in the hopes of gaining freedom from a life of poverty and hopelessness. Every weekend he was home, he would tell me a bit about some of the kids he was helping, the unwanted and the unloved that so frequently walked through their doors hoping for a better life. My heart often went out to them and hoped that the military could give them what they were seeking.
     After many years of living with Billy, I knew the Army about as well as anyone who isn't enlisted. I was familiar with its quirks, bribes, and sometimes less than generous dealings with its soldiers. I even harbored more than a little anger towar...

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