Mary Jean “MJ” Puckett

Rites of Passage: Stories of Service — Mary Jean “MJ” Puckett

Mil-Tree Series

In this episode of Rites of Passage: Stories of Service, Dawn Davis speaks with Mary Jean “MJ” Puckett, a nurse, military spouse, and mother of a Marine whose life has been shaped by decades of service to others.

MJ reflects on her career in emergency medicine, public health, and child protective services, sharing stories that reveal both the challenges and rewards of caring for people during their most vulnerable moments. She also speaks about life as part of a military family, the emotional realities of deployment, and how participating in Mil-Tree’s Rites of Passage program helped her explore memory, caregiving, and personal storytelling.

Through humor, compassion, and honesty, MJ offers a powerful reminder that service takes many forms and that storytelling can help us better understand ourselves and one another.