Mr. Parrish is a retired E-8, a Vietnam veteran who is disabled (30%, of which 10% is for PTSD.) He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1944 and served as a Communications Specialist in Vietnam in 1966—67. He later served as a Drill Instructor and a U.S. Army recruiter before retiring in May of 1985. He has worked for the Veterans Administration and, until his diagnosis with PTSD, helped his son operate an Internet service company. This is his first book.