From a young age, Alan Henry knew what it felt like to be left in the dust. Abandoned by his father after his mother's death, eight-year-old Alan was passed around from relative to relative, from Brooklyn to Cincinnati, until later in his teenage years.

Despite finding some normalcy, security, and a comforting home life in Cincinnati with his uncle, aunt, and cousin, Alan was forced to return to his father in Queens, New York. The strained relationship and lack of direction in life led Alan to one goal: to enlist in the army and attend college.

During a serendipitous mishap...