
"My father served. He came home disabled. He died of cancer when I was 18. I joined the Marines to honor what he started."
Falls Church, Virginia. Small town, no plan. Delivering Domino's pizza, stocking shelves at Southern States. My father died when I was 18. Steve Ely — Air Force, Korean War, disabled veteran. I walked into a recruiting office in April 1989. Not for adventure. To honor what he built. I had no idea Iraq was about to invade Kuwait.


