«The Archaeologist Reborn» by Thomas Martin

Back Door to Mars is set in the mid-twenty-first century and begins in the Appalachian Mountains, progresses to Washington, DC, and concludes with some amazing adventures and discoveries on the planet Mars. 
John Cayman is a young college professor who teaches a graduate course in interplanetary archaeology while his wife, Winona, owns her own veterinarian clinic and, with a colleague, enjoys concocting their own brand of medications for their animals with uncanny success. John also has an additional specialty in forensic anthropology, and his lifelong dream has been and is practicing his science on the planet Mars. However, gaining support from the university where he works and the US government has been futile.
Finally, John finds a significant ally for his Martian quest in a high-ranking general in the US military. The general was a savvy politician, as well as a close friend of the president, and soon John and his entourage were soon allowed to accompany the government on their expedition to Mars, where they encountered more than they could ever have imagined in this sci-fi adventure of a lifetime.
My name is Thomas E Martin. I grew up in East Tennessee, and after finishing school, I joined the military at age seventeen, and upon completing twenty years, I retired as a master electronic technician. I went to work for an aircraft manufacturing company in Texas. I was allowed to work the night shift and thereby have the freedom to pursue my education during the day. During my studies, I took up writing as a hobby. After acquiring a degree in engineering, I gradually developed a desire to publish a novel based on my experiences in electronics, possibly in the sci-fi genre and perhaps with a little action adventure mixed in, as those kinds of movies were my favorite.