Both inspiring and heartbreaking, Lessons From A Young Soldier's Life is the fascinating true adventure story of Captain Sean Grimes, RN, PA-C, U.S. Army, the first U.S. military Physician Assistant killed in combat. It is great reading for men and women and teenagers will enjoy it, too. March 4, 2005 starts out as just another day Sean has to survive being shot at and bombed by the enemy before he can go home on leave to New York City. The highlight of his leave will be taking his girlfriend to Times Square and asking her to marry him. Before flying to New York City Sean first has to survive another day being a Physician Assistant for U.S. soldiers and Marines in the violent Anbar Province of Iraq. Sean brought to the battlefield medical skills and experience equal to that of an emergency room doctor back in the U.S. The troops knew that having "Doc Grimes" on patrol with them meant they had a better chance of surviving when they were shot or bombed. After many twists and turns, the ending of the story hinges on a fateful decision Sean made when his unit first deployed to Iraq: the decision to leave the relative safety of his base camp to go out on combat patrols and night raids with the soldiers of the Scout Platoon. Sean doesn't have to put himself in harms way on these patrols but he does because of his desire to better care for "his" soldiers when they are wounded. Sean overcame growing up in a troubled household before moving on to experience adventures around the globe. He was a soldier who, even after finding the woman of his dreams, volunteered to go to the war in Iraq to serve his country and, more importantly, serve the soldiers and Marines in his area of operations. Sean is a virtual poster child for the opportunities the U.S. military offers to members interested in medicine. Right out of high school he decides to put off college for a year and enlists in the Army Reserve and is trained as a Medic at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Sean then receives an ROTC scholarship at Michigan State University and becomes a Registered Nurse and an Army officer. His first assignment as an officer is in Germany as an Army Nurse at the large U.S. Army Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. While stationed there he is deployed to U.N. peacekeeping duty in Kosovo where he accompanies infantry patrols into the war torn civilian towns. It is on these patrols that Sean discovers his true career calling- going into harm's way with soldiers to provide world class medical care. To be able to go into direct combat with U.S. troops Sean has to make the difficult career decision to leave nursing and apply for a coveted spot in the world renown U.S. Department of Defense Physician Assistant program held at Ft. Sam Houston. He is accepted to the program and graduates 2nd in his class. This soldier's story of bravery and sacrifice is one that can represent the story of thousands of American military men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
About the Author: Don Grimes is a former newspaper reporter and soldier. He is the Executive Director of The Aging of America and a nationally recognized expert in the need for organizations, communities and individuals to prepare for the aging of their citizens and customers. He can be reached at Don@agingofamerica.com