Ron Breland enlisted in the U.S.
Army as a firefighter on the eve of Desert Storm in late 1990, and was anxious to serve his country. As a third generation
firefighter, Breland followed in the footsteps of his father, and grandfather who retired as the Fire Chief of his home town
of Monroe, Louisiana. Determined to follow those who had gone before him, he found out quickly that life in the firehouse
was not easily balanced with family, the military, or life in a combat zone. After his third tour of combat in the deserts
of Iraq, Breland’s military career dissipated with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where he received
an Honorable discharge with medical disability. Ron Berland is the author of Castles in the Sand and A Pocket
Full of Memories: And Other Loose Change. According to the book description of Castles In The Sand, it “is a ‘boots on
the ground’ perspective of a young soldier, new father, and career long veteran’s tale lasting fifteen years;
including three combat tours. Through a series of short stories and an in depth journal spanning a year long tour of duty
in Iraq, Breland leads us on a journey across the globe and through life. These poignant and sometimes heartwarming stories
share the multi-faceted and sometimes complicated life of devotion to God, family, and country through the eyes of a patriot.”
According to the book description of
A Pocket Full of Memories: And Other Loose Change, it “is a collection of short stories from
a man who has had a truly blessed life. As a three-time combat veteran of tours in Somalia, Kosovo, and Iraq, Ron Breland
was recognized for professional excellence many times throughout his career. Through these inspiring stories based off of
his collection of military challenge coins, Breland shares each memory spanning a life of military service and beyond. The
subtitled section And Other Loose Change… is a delightful and light-hearted look at the humorous memories from childhood,
early adolescence, and into his parenting years as well. Each story throughout this collection of personal moments will make
you a believer of what true blessings life has bestowed upon the author and his family. For each veteran and his family, there
are a thousand memories just like these. These are but a few.”
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