Early modern Spain witnessed the birth of a new social group — veterans — many of whom described their services in the form of autobiographies. Its authors reveal themselves through a narrator and self-created “me” that represents their struggle to break social barriers. On the other hand, their grief and isolation may also stem from war-infl icted trauma. This paper analyses the autobiography of Alonso de Contreras, focusing on this duality in narration, that may explain the severe situation of early modern veterans.