At 23 years old, Ben Alston moved to Miami, FL from Costa Rica with the hopes of beginning his professional baseball career. However, four weeks after he arrived, Alston received a draft notice from the Army. From 1961-1964, Alston served tours around the world and was discharged from the Army. After living in New York City for a few months, Alston decided that he missed the service, decided to rejoin, and was sent to Vietnam in 1965. As one of the first soldiers to arrive in Vietnam, Alston speaks about the responsibilities of being a squad leader for reconnaissance missions, racial tensions within the Army, and how being a disabled veteran has affected his life.