DECORATED VIETNAM VETERAN MARC LAWRENCE SHARES A STORY OF COMBAT, RESILIENCE, AND RETURN IN STILL STANDING

Still Standing

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Decorated Vietnam veteran Marc Lawrence explores resilience, leadership, and finding purpose after combat in his new memoir, Still Standing.

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ballast Books is proud to announce the publication of Still Standing, a new memoir by decorated Vietnam veteran Marc Lawrence about war, resilience, and the lifelong journey of moving forward after combat.

At twenty-two years old, Lawrence had left college and joined the US Army when he found himself headed for Vietnam with little idea of what awaited him. As an artillery officer assigned to an infantry unit, he spent weeks on the front lines in the Plei Trap Valley, directing artillery fire against North Vietnamese forces and confronting the realities of combat firsthand.

Lawrence returned home after a year in Vietnam carrying memories that would remain with him for decades, along with a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, an Air Medal, and other military honors. But his story did not end when he came home.

Determined to build a new life, Lawrence returned to the University of Florida, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology. He went on to build a forty-year career in applied geophysics that took him to more than forty countries and into senior leadership positions within the industry.

In a remarkable full-circle chapter of his life, that career eventually brought Lawrence back to Vietnam—not as a soldier facing an enemy but as a civilian pursuing new opportunities in the country that had shaped him as a young man.

Still Standing examines how lessons forged during war continued to influence Lawrence’s approach to setbacks, leadership, opportunity, and perseverance throughout his life. Rather than ending with his return from combat in Vietnam, Lawrence explores the decades that followed and the challenge of determining what to do with his life now that he had survived.

Ultimately, Still Standing is a story about what comes after adversity: rebuilding, adapting, finding purpose, and continuing forward even when the path bears little resemblance to the one originally planned.

About the Author
Marc Lawrence was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Florida at the age of nine. He entered the University of Florida in 1964, but after struggling academically, he dropped out and joined the US Army. He became an artillery officer and served in Vietnam from 1968–69. His military decorations include the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal.

After returning home, Lawrence reentered the University of Florida and earned both BS and MS degrees in geology. He built a decades-long career in applied geophysics, eventually becoming senior vice president and a board member at Fairfield Industries. He later worked with Global Geophysical and, in 2014, founded RosettaStone Exploration Consulting. Lawrence has also held leadership roles with industry organizations including the National Ocean Industries Association and the International Association of Geophysical Contractors, where he served as chairman of the board for two years. His career has taken him to more than forty countries around the world.

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About Ballast Books:
Ballast Books is an independent publisher specializing in compelling nonfiction, memoirs, investigative works, and impactful stories that challenge prevailing narratives. Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ballast is committed to elevating voices with something to say—and the courage to say it.

Sarah De Vos
Ballast Books
sarah@ballastbooks.com
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