Dear Families,

As a young man, Roger Helle joined the Marines and set out for boot camp. The Vietnam War was escalating, and Roger quickly volunteered to go to the front lines. All his training, however, did not prepare him for his first taste of combat. Roger soon found himself part of a small remnant from his first battle.

Through three tours of duty in Vietnam, Roger’s life was spared countless times. At one point, he was the sole survivor of his entire squad. He carried the burden of “survivor’s guilt” for more than twenty years. During his third tour of duty, Roger was critically wounded and was not expected to survive.