Soldier Stories shares the inspiration I’ve received from the experiences of my friends and their friends. We live in West Michigan, anchored by Grand Rapids. The area has an exceptional culture in many ways, including a strong theme of military service. It’s the kind of place where high-performing high school students hope to earn admission to service academies, or you may find a copy of “Army Times” laying on a bench at a gym.

My family and I live in Grand Rapids, while I’ve traveled each week for work generally to New York. Many people on the coasts can view service members as a different or remote group. Hopefully sharing these stories can contribute in a small way to reinforcing our identity together as Americans.