I WAS THERE...

He was shot in his mother's womb and born into the chaos of Washington D.C.'s 1980s crack epidemic. His life was a battle for survival from his very first breath. I WAS THERE... Echoes of a Broken Boy is the unflinching memoir of a man who journeyed through unimaginable trauma—from the violent loss of his mother and the harsh lessons of the streets to the betrayals of war in the deserts of Iraq.

Haunted by loss but guided by a divine presence that speaks in the quiet moments, this is a raw, powerful story of resilience, redemption, and the relentless grace that pursues us in our darkest hour. It is a testament to the fact that even the most broken life can be rebuilt into a beacon of hope.

The narrative vividly portrays a childhood defined by the unwritten rules of the street, where respect is earned through fists and family honor is defended at all costs. From schoolyard fights that forge unlikely alliances to the profound influence of his grandfather, a man of immense strength and quiet wisdom, the author learns hard lessons about survival, manhood, and consequence.

His journey takes him from the disaster relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina to a tumultuous deployment in Iraq, where the physical dangers of war are matched by the emotional betrayals from both command and home. Returning home a changed man, he faces the daunting task of rebuilding his life from the ashes, ultimately finding his calling in ministry.