In 1970, an infantryman and his platoon encountered a horseshoe-shaped ambush in the jungles of Vietnam.

Six members of the young soldiers unit were trapped behind enemy lines, facing no chance for survival if rescue were not imminent. Twenty-one-year-old Specialist 4 Philip Salois and a fellow grunt were determined to save their six comrades. Before crawling out into the line of fire, Phil asked God to protect him and see him through this ordeal unharmed in return for a promise to do anything wanted of him afterwards. It is a promise that many men about to do battle make, but few keep.

Four years later, while attending a Catholic seminary in California, this Rhode Island native heard an inner voice reminding him of the promise he had made, and informing him of what God had planned for his life. Fourteen years after the ambush and rescue, that young soldier became Fr. Philip Salois, a Catholic priest about to embark on a new charge. This time, the mission was to rescue veterans who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by the horrors of their deployment in Vietnam.

Over nearly forty years, Fr. Phil brought spiritual healing to countless troubled veterans, from infantrymen to chaplains alike, in his role as the Chief of Chaplains in the Boston VA Healthcare System, and in numerous retreats and conferences that he organized all over the U.S.

This is the awe-inspiring true story of the life of a gentle giant, a man who received the Silver Star for his acts of valor in Vietnam, and a man who has merited the highest distinction for his service, from veterans organizations to religious and civic groups alike. $5.99 on Kindle.