Orphan Soldier: Transform Adversity into Personal Empowerment
by Ben Hess
About the Book
Growing up as an orphan, earning his pilot’s license upon high school graduation, and joining the army at age seventeen to serve in Afghanistan, Ben’s story is a tale of perseverance, courage, and survival. He journeys from an abusive foster care home to the battlefields of Afghanistan, from university classrooms to backpacking trips through Europe. Ben’s rich and varied experiences offer unique insight into how to draw strength and inspiration from hardship and misfortune. He tells his story with the aim of motivating youth to channel their troubles into opportunities for their personal development and success.
About the Author
Born in Vancouver, Ben lost his mother to cancer at the age of six and his father was denied custody on grounds of alcohol abuse. Ben joined the Canadian Forces at seventeen, went to serve in Afghanistan at the age of twenty-one and became a section commander at the age of twenty-three. A student of political science, he graduated from the University of Victoria in 2013. Ben has also traveled to over twenty countries around the world, including backpacking trips through Norway, Russia, and France. He currently lives in Vancouver Island, BC, in the home that he was proud to purchase at the age of twenty-one after returning from Afghanistan.
Praise for Orphan Soldier
“Ben Hess shares his experience and wisdom through insightful stories, inspirational messages, and thought provoking poetry. He encourages the reader to overcome challenges through perseverance and hard work. Everyone has his or her own unique life story, and Ben’s story paints an inspiring picture of survival, adventure, and accomplishment. At the young age of 23, he writes with the maturity level of a wise old mentor. He imparts important life lessons through his experiences in foster care, military service, and through his academic achievements. I highly recommend that you turn the pages of Ben’s story to help enhance your own life story.”
— Bobby O’Neal, RLM (aka. Dr Love inventor of Syncrohearts Love Game and author of ‘Dr Love’s Prescription for a Romantic Loving Man’)
“Having done a great deal of research on fatherless sons and the challenges they face, I commend not only the courage but also the insight that is demonstrated by Ben in this work. He is able to articulate the challenges he faced as a boy alone in the world and how he used his inner strength to overcome a terrible situation when all else seemed lost to him. This would be a great read not only for those who have been adopted but also for those who are adopting guardians. Great work Ben and congratulations.”
— James Cloughley, author of ‘A Man’s Work Is Never Done: A Novel About Mentoring Our Sons”
“Ben Hess has experienced more and drawn more deductions from the experiences in his short life that most of us can ever hope to. His perspective as a soldier, while only a part of his life, is his own and lends a maturity to his writing. It reflects an educated individual’s using his understanding to draw lessons from a rich and tumultuous life. Ben is a survivor who leads us on a voyage of awakening as to what the canvas of life really is when looked at from one who has experienced so much.”
— Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Craig Cotter, Royal Canadian Artillery, CLC