When James added his signature to the enlistment form, his Army recruiter leaned across the desk and shook his hand. He told him the decision he had made represented an honorable commitment to his country, and that he should wear the military uniform with pride and dignity.
Less than three months later, after having completed the rigorous training at "Ranger School," his commanding officer pulled him aside and informed him he had been selected to participate in a special ops program -- he was the most qualified candidate to accomplish the mission’s objectives.
The specialized training he received was short but intense, and before the month had ended, he was airdropped behind enemy lines, landing in the middle of a rice paddy, deep inside the jungles of Cambodia. His orders were to operate as a lone “wolf,” laying landmines along transportation routes that serviced the Ho Chi Minh Trail and to use his considerable military skills to identify and disrupt illegal sanctuaries.