The Rooster

The Rooster

Not Sending Our Best

Henry Hoeft is just your normal Ohioan looking to leave his son and job to fight as a mercenary in a war halfway across the world. Or so The Columbus Dispatch would make you think.

D.J. Byrnes's avatar
D.J. Byrnes
Mar 07, 2022
∙ Paid
28-year-old Ohio and combat veteran Henry Hoeft.

Once upon a time, I was enlisted as a paratrooper in the United States Army, and thankfully I was smart enough to eventually understand that getting some stretch of highway named after me wouldn’t do much to console my parents after my inevitable death.

I don’t understand the urge of fighting somebody else’…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of D.J. Byrnes.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 D.J. Byrnes · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture