Advice for a new Muslim convert, please share your thoughts

Assalamu alaikum everyone. I have so many questions. I've been talking with three brothers on my journey to Islam, and I'm trying to learn. A little about me: I'm a veteran of the US, a father, divorced, a former heroin addict who's been clean for about 22 years, an alcoholic who's been mostly sober for about 8 years, raised Catholic, and currently going through a crisis of faith living in Eastern Tennessee. I first encountered Islam from late 2004 through 2006 during 18 months in the US Army. I'm sure you all know what that means. And while I'm proud of my service, I'm not proud of what I was made to do. I had listened to the propaganda and believed it. My sincerest apologies if I ever met any of you and said horrible things. I was not a good person and had seen the worst of Islam and believed the worst. And that's my biggest hang-up. Will Allah and my new community forgive me for this past? I know it sounds silly. From everything I've googled, Allah is said to forgive your sins if you truly repent. And I am. For so much. For decades of sin, anger, and misguided hatred. I'm not perfect, and I know I never can be. But is there hope that in Islam, I may find peace? I apologize for the heavy post, but I needed to hear it from people, not AI.