Sitting behind his desk at Market Street Partners, James Purgason looks like an everyday businessman.
“Most people just refer to me as an accountant,” the 36-year-old Chattanooga resident said. “Most people don’t know I’m a veteran, I guess.”
Purgason is completely fine with the anonymity. It made trading the front lines in Afghanistan for the bottom line of corporate taxes a very desirable transaction.
“I guess I don’t fit the stereotype of an older veteran,” he said. “I don’t hide it from people, and if it comes up, I’m happy to discuss it.”
Another topic he’s willing to discuss is the controversial withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. It’s been a passionate debate that fell along political lines, leaving feelings hurt and lives changed. But Purgason said the most important point seemed to get lost in the debate.