Always at a Crossroads: 40 Years as a Soldier

by James Byrnes

Life is a series of crossroads whatever your occupation. In the military there are more crossroads than normal. Over my forty years of war, peace and training soldiers I had many opportunities to choose a different turn at the intersection. Each time I chose the harder, steepest path and one that led me and my wife into a new adventure that was educational and sometimes dangerous. Each path was a learning experience that has stayed with us throughout life. This book is about those adventures and times in foreign lands.

Although there are stories of two years fighting in Vietnam, this book is about much more than another Vietnam tale. It is the story of what happens when you are fortunate enough to marry a woman who is willing to share the good and the bad of me always being deployed or in a far away country and her living in yet another country with few amenities and little luxury.

Share with me this tale of moving 27 times, living in far away countries and always making the most of our experiences. It will make you think about what your life might have been if you had taken a different crossroads.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2025