Gary L. Smiley

Anatomy of a Marine (Volume 1) Gary L. Smiley

Anatomy of a Marine is a narrative fiction book which details the mental and physical struggles of a former Marine who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Within this book you will embark into the abyss of a troubled mind and experience the obstacles that one man must endure in order to survive the demons within his two worlds, both past and present. Throughout the course of this book this man is tormented by the effects of PTSD, which slowly bleeds into his life and begins to unravel everything he has worked so diligently to protect: his family, friends and career. But at work he is deemed a threat to the workplace, where his mental state is constantly under scrutiny by everyone who vowed to help him. And at home, friends and family begin to ostracize him due to his erratic and unpredictable behavior, as he searches for that one bright spot somewhere in all the darkness. But the real question here is- why? In the most pivotal moment in this book, this former Marine is required to attend an inquiry with his doctor from the Veteran?s administration to examine his mental stability. In this meeting his doctor asks him to give detailed information about his PTSD and how it has disassembled his life. Then, he is to also give a detailed history of his problems at work, and finally an exhaustive account of his most traumatic experiences in the Marines. There?s only one problem. Even though he needs help, he is not thrilled about exposing the demons of the present and the ghost of his past, just to have those memories torment his life like that of a terminal disease.