A high school dropout, author James Donald Etheridge thought it was important to upgrade his status. He decided to exchange his less-than-perfect world for a more-less-than-perfect world as a soldier in the US Army. In My Life's Recollections, he tells how he entered the military in 1952 as a boy and came out as a man.

In this memoir, he recounts his story, beginning as a struggling child growing up in Alabama, his enrollment in the military, his deployments and work as a soldier during the Korean War, and of meeting his wife, Betty.

Throughout his experiences, chronicled for the benefit of his children, Etheridge shares how he learned to work hard, value life, keep a sense of humor throughout his journeys, and always honor the heavenly father.

James Donald Etheridge, born during the Depression years, chose to join the military at a young age and learned to enjoy life despite the challenges he faced. He was 37 when he began to further his education, entering Business College. He then continued by earning two associates degrees by 2012. In 2016, he was the oldest graduate at Tarleton State University, receiving his Bachelor's degree at 80 years old.