User blog comment:Midnight Bandit/Season 1 Submissions!/@comment-32574574-20171222214837

Name (Age): ​Bill Hershey (54)

Current Residence: ​Myrtle Beach, SC

Occupation: ​Former Marine

Hobbies: ​Playing Basketball, Reading History Novels, Listening to Smooth Jazz

Pet Peeves: ​People who claim to have a boyfriend or girlfriend but really don't, people who are messy eaters, people who drive 5 miles under the speed limit, and most of all, people who disrespect our military.

3 Words to Describe You: ​Compassionate, Strong-willed, and Courageous

Reason for Being on SURVIVOR: ​I'm coming on Survivor ​to start a new path in life. After my beautiful daughter, Mary passed away, and after I was discharged from serving as a member in the United States Marine Corps, everything has been going downhill for me. I want to come on the show so I can rebuild who I am, and I know that this show brings out both the best and the worst in people. If I can make it to 39 days, I want those 39 days to mean something for the rest of my life.

Confessional: ​"I'm Bill Hershey, I'm 54, and I am a Former United States Marine. I would consider myself an All-American man as I'm patriotic, I'm tough, and I am a strong-willed individual. The reason I am coming out here to do Survivor ​​is so I can not only prove that I can play a good game, but that I can prove to myself how strong I really am. I can be very insecure about myself, and I also struggle a lot with self-esteem issues, which can get in the way of my main goals in life. My plan is not to tell my tribemates about my daughter, Mary, because I know that it will be viewed as an ability to garner sympathy, and the last thing I'm gonna do is throw my daughter's name under the bus. I'm REALLY nervous going in, but I hope I can do a good job and I hope that my tribemates will recognize that I might be older, but I am just as physically and mentally strong as any of them."

Strategy/Gameplay: ​Bill will not have a problem working hard in camp, nor will he struggle in the challenges, as he was a Marine, and he has still managed to keep his physique the same for twenty-five years. Bill is a very vocal individual, but he knows that gaining trust and gaining friendships in the game are what matter the most in the game, and he intends to build both trust and friendship. Bill knows that he will most likely be one of the more talked-about contestants on the season, something in which he does not mind. His strategy is to let someone else be the mastermind until he can "play the cards right".

Predicted Placement: ​I do not believe Bill will win the game, but I think he's a good contender to make it to the merge, considering he is a very outspoken individual with very good qualities that could keep a contestant safe for a while. He is strong, he can be (for the most part) likable, and he also has a plan to follow by the quote "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer".

Other Important Information (sorry for being too long and specific): ​

Bill is currently single and was the father of a little girl, 4-year old Mary Ann Hershey (1992-1996). Bill was in the Marines at the time serving as a staff sergeant (Bill was discharged once in 1989 and returned to the Marines in 1994, and honorably discharged again in late 1995) when he heard rumors about his ex-wife, Jillian and her boyfriend, John Giles abusing (in all forms) their 4-year old daughter whilst Bill was serving in the military.

Bill and Jillian filed for divorce previously and both parents were fighting for the custody of Mary Ann. Not only did Bill pass a polygraph when Jillian accused him of abusing Mary Ann, but he is licensed in CPR, and Mary Ann even VOCALLY stated that Bill was the "better parent" as he would take her out to eat ice cream every Friday night, charge and feed Mary Ann, along with read her bedtime stories. All the while, Jillian went out partying with her boyfriend and drinking. Despite this, Jillian ended up winning the court case, which earned her FULL custody of her child, and Bill was forced to pay child support. Mary Ann was repeatedly neglected by Jillian and was abused by John Giles (Jillian's boyfriend). When Mary Ann told her mom about the abuse she was suffering from her mother's boyfriend, Jillian told her to "suck it up" and "get over it". When Mary Ann died, it was revealed she had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, along with other serious damages to her body. Eventually, Jillian confessed to authorities and pointed that John was the person who abused Mary Ann, and John was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Jillian served two years in prison for child neglect. Following this, Bill attempted to kill himself five times within the span of three years and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He states that his daughter was his life, and that he would "want nothing more, than to see my daughter back."

Bill does not want to open up about his daughter's death immediately, as he knows it can lead to people targeting him, as well as the fact that he is not comfortable opening up about this story so early in the game.