John McCary was raised in Nashville, TN and around North Carolina. He graduated from Vassar College in 1998 with a degree in French. He enlisted as an Arabic interrogator in 2000. He deployed as a Sergeant in September 2003 with Task Force 1-34 of the 1st Infantry Division to Habbaniyah, Iraq, just outside Fallujah. John conducted a mix of tactical operations and interrogations. He was awarded a Bronze Star. John wrote To the Fallen as an e-mail to friends and family after attending a funeral for several soldiers from his unit in January 2004. He returned home in September of 2004 and was honorably discharged from the Army in April 2005. He currently lives in Washington DC.