An Unforgettable Salute

Skirmishes, Battlefields, and Making Peace with My Father

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 and spiritual 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 had a life changing experience with God paving the road for him to leave a life of violence. The military taught him self-discipline and the necessary leadership skills that later guided him to achieve professional success as a podiatric surgeon, a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and a husband and father. An Unforgettable Salute is the true story of one man who rose from the silent side of abuse to achieve healing, happiness, success, and most of all, peace.