When his term ended on January 20, 2021, he retired to his native state of Indiana and a much quieter, reclusive life where he would focus on doing what he could to help the veterans of the greatest war the world had ever seen learn to reintegrate back into the society they had sacrificed so much to protect.
Secretary of Defense James Castle was determined to make sure the politicians didn’t screw up the peace deals or the much-needed reconstruction period that would be pivotal to holding the world together. Just as General Marshall and President Truman had known Germany and Japan would need to be rebuilt following the end of the war, Castle was determined to make sure Russia and China were cultivated and brought back into the fold of peaceful nations.
When President Foss announced that he would not seek reelection, Castle knew this was his chance to lead the nation and the world into a bright new future. He quickly submitted his resignation as Secretary of Defense and the following day announced his candidacy for President. Despite having no prior political experience, his popularity and high approval rating from his handling of the war led to a massive electoral win.
As the new President, he vowed to lead the world and the country into a new era of peace and economic prosperity.
For the Veterans
The following story about PTSD has been shared from many platforms, and since the author is unknown, it is unclear who the original source was. However, it echoed my own experience so much that I felt it would be important to share. We did make small grammatical changes to the original content as we first found it:
A soldier with PTSD fell into a hole and couldn’t get out. When a SNCO walked by, the soldier called out for help, but the SNCO yelled back, "Suck it up son, dig deep and drive on," then threw him a shovel. The Soldier did as he was told and dug that hole deeper.
A senior officer went by and the soldier called out for help again. The officer told him, "Use the tools your SNCO has given you." Then he threw him a bucket. The soldier used the tools and he dug the hole deeper still and filled the bucket.
A psychiatrist walked by. The soldier called, “Help! I can’t get out!”
So the psychiatrist gave him some drugs and said, "Take this. It will relieve the pain and you will forget about the hole.”
The soldier said, "Thanks," and followed his advice, but when the pills ran out, he was still in the hole.
A well-known psychologist rode by and heard the soldier's cries for help. He stopped and asked, “How did you get there? Were you born there? Did your parents put you there? Tell me about yourself, it will alleviate your sense of loneliness.”
So the Soldier talked with him for an hour. Then the psychologist had to leave, but he said he’d be back next week. The soldier thanked him, but he was still in the hole.
Another soldier, just like him, happened to be passing by. The soldier with PTSD cried out, “Hey, help me. I’m stuck in this hole!”
Right away, the other Soldier jumped down in there with him. The soldier with PTSD started to panic and said, “What are you doing? Now we’re both stuck down here!”
But the other Soldier just smiled and replied, “It’s Ok. Calm down, brother. I’ve been here before….. I know how to get out.”
Please know, that no matter what you are going through, you are never alone. If you are struggling with PTSD, there is a whole community of military brothers and sisters who is ready to help support you and help you find a way to pull yourself out of the hole. Please don’t give up; keep going until you find the help that is right for you.
I have been pretty open with our fans about the fact that PTSD has had a tremendous direct impact on our lives; it affected my relationship with my wife, job opportunities, finances, parenting — everything. It is also no secret that for me, the help from the VA was not the most ideal form of treatment. Although I am still on this journey, I did find one organization that did assist the healing process for me, and I would like to share that information.
Welcome Home Initiative is a ministry of By His Wounds Ministry, and they run seminars for veterans and their spouses for free. The weekends are a combination of prayer and more traditional counseling and left us with resources to aid in moving forward. The entire cost of the retreat — hotel costs, food, and sessions — are completely free from the moment the veteran and their spouse arrive at the location.
If you feel that you or someone you love might benefit from one of Welcome Home Initiative’s sessions, please visit their website to learn more: https://welcomehomeinitiative.org/
We have decided to donate a portion of our profits to this organization, because it made such an impact in our lives and we believe in what they are doing. If you would also like to donate to Welcome Home Initiative and help to keep these weekend retreats going, you can do so by following this link: https://welcomehomeinitiative.org/donate/
From the Authors
Miranda and I really hope that you enjoyed the Red Storm Series all the way to the conclusion. It’s been an incredible journey for us as authors. We are already working on our next series, but we have a bit more work to do before it’s ready for preorder. If you’d like to be notified of upcoming releases, please subscribe to our mailing list at http://www.author-james-rosone.com, at the bottom of the home page. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JamesRosone/, and interact with us about what types of characters you’d like to see in the next series, or read interesting posts about developments regarding the military.
While we are working on writing the next books, we will also be releasing audio book versions of many of our books. Prelude to World War III, Operation Red Dragon and Operation Red Dawn are all already available on Audible, and Cyber Warfare and the New World Order should be released around the time this book is published. Additionally, Battlefield Ukraine, Battlefield Korea, and Battlefield Taiwan will begin to be released at the end of the year, so if you have friends or family members that have been waiting for the books to come out in audio format, be sure to let them know. If they are new to Audible, they can have one of our audiobooks for free with the thirty-day trial.
As independent authors, the biggest way that you can help us is to leave a positive review on Amazon and Goodreads for each book that you have enjoyed reading. These reviews make a difference for prospective readers, and we sincerely appreciate each person that takes the time to write one.
If you haven’t had a chance to read our other works, we hope you will enjoy one of our other stories. A full list can be found below:
Prelude to World War III: The Rise of the Islamic Republic and the Rebirth of America
Operation Red Dragon and the Unthinkable
Operation Red Dawn and the Invasion of America
Cyber Warfare and the New World Order
Traitors Within
Interview with a Terrorist