An Unforgettable Salute

It all seemed so picture-perfect. It was a typical fall evening in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in 1965 when John Gouin, a twelve-year-old boy with big dreams came home from football practice and sat down at the dinner table with his mother. But when the front door slammed loudly shut, John and his mother anticipated the worst. His father was a man lost within his own anger. In his compelling memoir An Unforgettable Salute, Gouin chronicles his lifelong battle to please his alcoholic father, his attempts to stop the physical abuse, and his journey to psychological healing that eventually culminated in a heartwarming final exchange with his gravely ill father. After describing a childhood during which he was physically beaten and emotionally scarred, Gouin details his dream of playing in the NFL, which lasted until a devastating injury ended his football career. After struggling to find his calling, Gouin eventually joined the army, where he learned self-discipline and the leadership skills that later guided him to achieve professional success as a podiatric surgeon.