David Hardman served two combat tours in Vietnam as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, flying dangerous missions during some of the war’s most intense operations. Shot down nine times, he survived the physical dangers of combat while carrying home the emotional weight that so many veterans know all too well.

Before military service, Hardman grew up in constant motion, attending multiple schools and rarely finding stability. That restlessness followed him into adulthood, shaping a life marked by reinvention, struggle, and resilience. After leaving the Army as a Captain, he faced years of unresolved trauma, alcohol dependence, and a long search for purpose beyond survival. In the decades that followed, Hardman worked across numerous industries, started businesses, and continued to rebuild his life. Sobriety later in life brought clarity, peace, and a renewed sense of meaning. He writes from lived experience, not to dramatize war, but to tell the truth about its lasting impact—and to show that healing, while difficult, remains possible.