For as long as I can remember, I wanted an F150 pickup. When I was young, my parents always owned ford vehicles but we were lower middle class and lived in a very small, rural town so our cars were always used with many miles. My father worked heavy hours at a blue collar job.

As I grew older, I’d see guys drive buy with trucks, specifically the Ford F150, and tell myself, “One day, I’ll own one, no matter what it takes!” There were many times I doubted myself and my ability to earn enough to own an F150. In 1999, at age 17 and with my parents’ permission, I joined the US Army.

My plan was simple: I wanted the “American Dream.” For me, that dream was to own an F150, a bachelor’s degree, a house, and marrying wife and having a few kids. After the Iraq War started in 2003 I was called to active duty in Northern Iraq but that unit was never sent and my financial stability took quite a hit because I had burned many bridges thinking I was going far, far away. I finally got my chance to deploy in 2005-06 and 2007-08. I returned home and went back to school. I found it was almost impossible to concentrate on schoolwork due to what I would soon find out was PTSD. I was forced to give up on school due to financial reasons. The GI bill just wasn’t enough to live on, pay for school, and survive.

I took a crazy leap and bought a 2009 F150 STX Supercab 4X2. The dealership gave me a deal made in heaven considering my current state of: no job, no degree, and no financial support. They trusted me because I was a combat veteran and that was enough for them to go on.

I never looked back. My truck is not my entire identity but every time I start this beauty up and drive to my 8 to 5, I can’t help but feel forever grateful for the chance the Ford Motor Company gave me in the darkest moment of my life. The impossible became possible through the trust of a dealership who’d never met me. The American Dream is real and all it took was a little trust and the hard effort of everyone who has worked to make the F150 a reality. I’m eternally grateful to the chance Ford gave me.