about the author
Ron Haines a 77-year-old author, entrepreneur, and technical professional currently living in Traverse City, Michigan. Ron’s life spans a fascinating journey from the front lines of military service to the cutting edge of early computer programming and software security.
military service & early life
Vietnam War Veteran
At age 19, Ron Haines was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as a helicopter door gunner with the 7th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment (the "Blackhawks") in 1969 and 1970. He earned an Air Medal, surviving 167 hours under enemy fire.
Roots
Ron grew up on Maxwell Road in Carleton, Michigan, and spent a significant part of his life in Monroe, Michigan, where he helped his parents, Alfred E. and Dolores Haines, build the family-owned Camp Lord Willing RV Park during his youth.
Technology & Entrepreneurship
Software Pioneer
A self-taught programmer, Ron began coding on Commodore systems in 1985 before moving into the IBM PC market in 1994. He became a prominent figure in vintage computing—particularly the Amiga platform—where Ron developed a utility software like RawCopy and FatTracks.
Corporate Security Expert
Ron founded Micro Systems International and later Endless Visions (operating since 1994). Professionally utilizing the moniker "Joshua" (inspired by the supercomputer in the movie WarGames), Ron specialized in reverse-engineering encrypted computer software and hardware dongle migration to help licensed corporations preserve and backup their critical, legacy software.
Legal Resilience
Ron’s specialized work attracted intense scrutiny, leading him to survive four federal search warrants and multiple corporate lawsuits without ever being arrested or jailed. Choosing the rare and difficult path of defending himself Pro Per (without a lawyer) in federal court, Ron successfully prevailed against immense legal odds.
Recent Projects & Creative Works
"GRAY MAN" Memoir
Ron recently published his major, 549-page factual memoir titled GRAY MAN: Walking the Tight Rope Between RIGHT and WRONG, which chronicles his raw, unfiltered experiences across the jungles of Vietnam, personal triumphs and tragedies, and high-stakes federal legal battles.
Book Promotion
To launch the memoir, Ron participated in a major 10-day marketing campaign in New York City, which featured his book on the massive Broadway digital screen in Times Square.
Upcoming Engagements
Alongside developing an upcoming audiobook version of Gray Man, Ron has been invited as a guest speaker at an international writers' retreat in Tuscany, Italy.
A Natural Storyteller
“You have led an exceptionally bold and colorful existence, and you kept my attention through all its phases.”
— David Cashion, Executive Editor
A New York Times-bestselling ghostwriter and former Big-5 acquisitions editor who has worked with big names like Kirk Hammett, Jimmy Webb, and Drew Carey.
Ron’s story is not only unusual because of what happened.
It is unusual because he lived long enough to tell it in his own voice.
The result is direct, emotional, hard-edged, sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, and
never dressed up to make life look cleaner than it was.
Explore endless visions
GRAY MAN
The memoir. The main story. The full ride.
My Life Story
A direct account of Ron’s life, from Vietnam to retirement and everything in between.
Federal Cases
Documents, warrants, lawsuits, and case references behind the book.
Get the book
Gray Man:
Walking the Tight Rope Between RIGHT and WRONG
A 549-page memoir of war, survival, business, federal pressure, grief, and endurance.
This is the story of a man who was drafted into war, came home, built his own path, fought the system, lost almost
everything more than once, and kept going anyway.
Not because it was easy.
Because quitting was not an option.
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