stephen j. wilmer

It is the 1960s, a sixth grader begins a series of choices that will dictate the course of his life forever. As his grades drop and he becomes a disciplinary challenge, Steves parents eventually make the agonizing decision to send him away to a military academy when he is just fifteen.

As Steve attempts to adjust to a new life as a first-year cadet at a high school one hundred miles from his home, he soon realizes that there will be consequences for all his actions, that respect is earned, and that honor is expected. Mentored by his roommate, Steve soon learns how to make his jib line correct, pack his knapsack, distinguish bugle calls, and shoulder a rifle. But as his first year ends, he wrestles with the unknown. Will he return to his new family and identity or attempt to readapt to the life that brought him here in the first place?

In this story based on true events, a teenager sets out on a journey of self-discovery after his parents enroll him in a military academy.