A Walk Through the Zoo

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mark Hertling, with his wife, Sue, spent nearly four decades in the US Army. Since retiring from the military, he has continued to study, teach, and write about leadership, character, and service while working with a variety of organizations. In March 2026, Mark published If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal, which began as a journal written for his two young sons while he was deployed in combat. Decades later, he expanded his thoughts and turned the journal into a best-selling, award-winning book about leadership, character, emotion, family, and the lessons we hope to pass from one generation to the next. A friend suggested that the lessons Mark had spent years sharing with adults might be just as valuable if introduced to children as they begin forming their own character and values. That suggestion inspired this book, which contains lessons that take a lifetime to understand-but it is never too early or too late to learn about how they contribute to being a good person.