From High School Dropout to Vietnam Everything in Between

A sweeping, raw, and deeply human memoir of grit, survival, and a 20-year journey through the U.S. Navy proving that where you start never determines where you finish.At sixteen, Charles Hock was a high school dropout running from the extreme poverty and segregated housing projects of West Dallas. Hitchhiking across the country and taking on backbreaking odd jobs to survive, he made a decision that would reshape his life forever: he enlisted in the United States Navy.What followed was a remarkable two-decade military career spanning the height of the Cold War and the bloodiest years of the Vietnam War. From operating secret missile systems at Seal Beach and weathering sub-zero Atlantic seas aboard the USS Tusk, to volunteering for duty in Vietnam following the 1968 Tet Offensive and serving aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Hock observed history from the front lines. His service culminated deep underground at Offutt Air Force Base, handling strategic nuclear planning during one of the most tense eras in modern history.