PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The following Reflection represents SSG James R. Laudermilk’s legacy of their military service from 2004 to 2015. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life.
Was There An Occasion, During Your Military Or Civilian Life, When Your Military Training Proved Invaluable In Overcoming A Difficult Situation?
Yes, there was a time in my civilian life when my military training was absolutely vital not in the field, but in a fight for my life.
After 19 years in the U.S. Army, including combat deployments to Iraq and roles as an IT instructor and leader I retired with 100% disability due to exposure to burn pits. I have led soldiers through missions, trained others in high-pressure-tech environments, and understood the value of discipline, resilience, and readiness. But nothing fully prepared me for what came next: a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, followed by leukemia.
Suddenly, I wasn’t facing an enemy on foreign soil. I was in a fight for my life at home. But my training kicked in. The Army had hard-wired me to analyze, adapt, and execute under extreme pressure. I treated my treatment plan like a mission: track symptoms like system logs, follow protocols, and troubleshoot setbacks like a corrupted OS. Every day became an operation physical, mental, and spiritual.
As the illness progressed, I lost my ability to sing. That could’ve been the end of the road for my creative expression. But instead, I used my IT background and problem-solving mindset to pivot. I started producing various genres of Christian music with AI, writing and releasing Christian, Country, and Patriotic songs under “James R. Laudermilk” and “JesusMusic.Ai” and creating Ai Christian Art with Bible Verses, at the same time continuing to serve through the power of faith and technology. When I couldn t speak, I created voices. When I couldn t sing, I built sound. That s the soldier in me: you find a way.
What many saw as limitations, I saw as opportunities. My military experience didn t just give me tactical skills it gave me the mindset to face the unknown, adapt under pressure, and lead myself and others through chaos. Now, through my music, my testimony, and my tech knowledge, I continue to serve not with rank and insignia, but with purpose and passion.
Without that military foundation, I may have given up. But because of it, I kept fighting. And today, I’m still standing as a veteran, a creator, and a witness to what God, Family, Faith and Grit can do.
Read the Military Memories of our Runner-Ups.
PRESERVE YOUR OWN SERVICE MEMORIES!
Boot Camp, Units, Combat Operations
Join Togetherweserved.com to Create a Legacy of Your Service
U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard
SHARE:
0 Comments