Stephen Cone enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 at age 18. Within six months he arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to Company "H", 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. He served in Vietnam from March 1967 through April 1968. In 1993, as a civilian, he returned to the war zone of Somalia. Retired, he lectures veteran's organizations, writes editorials, and delivers speeches to community-based organizations. He is a native of the Washington, D.C. area, and currently resides in South Carolina.