Randall Parkes

“He points to the [eagle, globe] and anchor and he's like, ‘Look, man, this is all I can give you.’”

“I was in boot camp during September 11th. And then I didn't deploy until '05.”

“We just heard that the US was under attack in New York and DC.”

“That first deployment was kind of demoralizing, because you get hit with an IED and there's not really a whole lot you can do about it.”

“It was what you thought a deployment would be.”

“He's calling me like, ‘Sir, I can't get by.’ They're executing people on the street.”

“When you get out, it’s not the end of the book. It’s just the end of the chapter.”

“The Marine Corps is a big part of who I am today, but it doesn’t define me in perpetuity.”

“I started taking classes and it took me 10 years to get my undergrad, just like one class at a time.”

“This is directed right at the GWOT generation. Our generation, the help is there.”

“The help is there. And in fact, there's almost too many programs. It's like a full-time job navigating which path you're going to go.”

“I know the VA gets a bad rap and rightly so. They've earned that reputation. But my experience with the VA on the mental health side was phenomenal.”

“The first time I did EMDR, I don't even remember driving home.”

“I've heard the horror stories about going to the VA and they just pump you full of pills, and that wasn't my experience for the mental health stuff.”