Veteran Finds Healing and Purpose Through Writing and Service

Edward Milligan at the International Impact Book Awards Grand Gala in Phoenix, AZ on Nov. 2, 2024. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL As we close out Veterans Day week, Fort Liberty honors veterans like Edward Milligan, who continue to make an impact long after their military service. Milligan has dedicated his life not only to serving his country but also to inspiring others through his writing, mentorship and resilience. Growing up in Leesville, Louisiana, where the summers were long, hot and filled with quiet moments, Milligan discovered his passion for storytelling early on. Raised by his aunt and uncle on a fixed income, he turned to books for escape and inspiration, especially drawn to the heroes in Don Pendleton’s “The Executioner” series and James Patterson’s “Alex Cross” novels. He spent those formative summers lost in the thrill of detective tales, sparking a lifelong dream: to become a writer. Today, he is not only a published author of seven novels but a U.S. Army veteran who has transformed his personal challenges into powerful stories and poetry that resonate worldwide. “Having lost my mother at nine years old, never knowing my biological father, and then having to move in with an aunt and uncle was a great test of my faith at an early age,” Milligan said. “I realized then that if I was going to graduate from high school and achieve my goal of going to college, I would have to pick myself up by the bootstraps and be self-motivated in everything I did at that point in life.” As a commissioned officer, Milligan led Soldiers, motivating and inspiring them through his example. For him, serving as a military leader is more than duty; it is a calling to uplift those around him, a quality that he infused into his creative pursuits. Writing fiction, like commanding a unit, requires discipline and adaptability. Milligan recounts how, just as he never allowed himself the option of failing a mission, he also refused to let any setbacks halt his writing progress. That dedication, he believes, allowed him to complete his novels and a […]

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