Narrator/Host

As a nurse, were you pretty proud of her?

Absolutely, yeah.

They're absolutely lifesavers.

She wanted to go to Iraq.

I said, why would you want to go to Iraq, to the war zone?

And she said, Dad, I just think I can help soldiers if I'm out there as a first responder in a war zone.

I can do more good and help more soldiers.

Although Holly never served in combat and was ultimately stationed in the U.S., she was going places.

And by age 23, had become a second lieutenant in the United States Army.

Even though I was a Sergeant Major, she was technically a higher rank than me starting out, you know, and I was pretty proud of that.

They assigned her to the mother-baby ward at Womack.

She just always wanted to be in the thick of things.

Actually, at the time, Holly was raising a couple of children on her own, born from a relationship with her ex-boyfriend from her hometown of Dubuque, Iowa.

Then in 2007, she met this 22-year-old Marine Corporal John Wymunk, a combat engineer who was stationed along with her brother Beau at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Colonel Kirk Cordova was John Wymunk's commanding officer.

He's a non-commissioned officer working towards being a sergeant and probably one of the best ranks in the Marine Corps.

So he was very proficient, I can tell you that.

I was embedded in the war zone with the Marines in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The level of danger was similar to what they experienced.

Marines continue to bring their heavy armor north.