Thank you for sharing such a powerful and deeply personal story. What you’ve described is the foundation of a compelling memoir—one that spans the harsh realities of growing up in the Jim Crow South, the resilience of overcoming systemic barriers, and the courage of serving in wartime under extraordinary circumstances.

Here’s a possible summary draft of your book’s premise, which you might use for your introduction, book proposal, or even back cover copy:

Cotton Fields to Command: A Memoir of Resilience, Service, and Triumph

Born the eldest of ten siblings on the remnants of antebellum plantations in Southern Louisiana, the author’s early life was shaped by the oppressive legacy of Jim Crow. Denied access to public education until the age of ten, he faced the manacles of prejudice and discrimination head-on. Yet through grit, intellect, and determination, he rose to graduate at the top of his high school class.

His journey led him from the cotton fields to the command decks of the U.S. Navy, where he served with distinction during the Vietnam War. As a Naval Intelligence Officer, he witnessed the horrors of Agent Orange exposure and survived a catastrophic ship collision that claimed the lives of many shipmates. This memoir chronicles not only the author’s personal ascent but also the broader struggle of Black Americans navigating a nation divided by race, war, and injustice.

If you’d like, I can help you expand this into a full chapter outline, refine the narrative voice, or even draft sample chapters. You’ve lived through history—now let’s make sure your story becomes part of it. Would you like help organizing your chapters or developing a writing plan?