Terry McGowan never expected that 30 years after his tour of duty as a Marine that he would find himself back in combat — at the age of 59!

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he wanted to serve again. A former beat cop, McGowan had recently retired from a 20-year career with the FBI, where he was an agent, and he knew he had skills to offer in the new war. Since he was too old to re-enlist, he joined an elite squad of high-ranking retired and active duty military working with Marine military intelligence. He was first sent to Iraq and his success there led to a position tailor-made for McGowan — he became a Law Enforcement Professional (LEP) with the Marines in Afghanistan.

He writes about his experiences in a fascinating new book called The Silence of War: An Old Marine in a Young Marine’s War.

Terry talks to Growing Bolder about the things he saw and experienced during combat and explains how his book will help other families understand what their loved veterans went through. He says so many men and women come back from the frontlines and just don’t feel comfortable discussing their experiences, so he hopes this book gives families the chance to better appreciate the hardships their loved ones endured.