The recruiters did not believe Manuel was seventeen because he looked small and scrawny, so they told him that he would need permission from one of his parents. Since his mom did not know how to speak or read English, he ended up tricking her into signing the paper by saying it was for a job. Unfortunately, his parents refused to let the friend join, but Manuel still went through with it because he “wanted structure in my life”. He was picked up at six in the morning later that week and was immediately shipped off to basic training. Manuel became a member of the military during a turbulent time. The Korean War began in 1950 after North Korea crossed the thirty-eighth parallel with intent to take over South Korea. When I asked Manuel what he thought about the United States intervening, he said “I was young when it started mija; I didn’t really know why there was conflict in the first place but I knew war was never good so I guess I wasn’t thrilled that the United States got