Battle Tested: Street Kid, Soldier, Teacher, Patriarch

Many call them "the greatest generation"--those who fought in World War II. Author Gregg Patterson Davis can claim that distinction. He was a kid running the streets during the Great Depression, dodging problems created by a distant father. Then he left behind his home and high school sweetheart for the battlefields of Europe--and returned a decorated and wounded man.

As a soldier in the 89^th Infantry Division, many of the "Rolling W" wrote of their experiences--sometimes in blood. The Division spearheaded one of history's most spectacular pursuits to win the most widespread and deadliest war in history. The men's rugged fighting spirit thrust them through Germany during daily life-and-death experiences.

We used to toss hard candy from our rations to German children on the streets. Instead of fear in their eyes, they looked at us in a different way. Maybe we weren't the bad guys after all. When soldiers came back from Germany decades later, they brought back stories from people in those villages who had remembered that small kindness.

Character qualities rarely seen today marked the performance of the "89ers," which carried "Private Davis" through the remainder of his life with stalwart determination and committed courage. From losing a child to working odd jobs to feed his family, Battle-Tested is the story of a boy who grew into manhood by facing life one challenge at a time. Vowing to rise above his impoverished childhood and battle-weary spirit, he has positively influenced thousands of people during his 90 years.

Each of us has been shaped by our personal experiences. We have been influenced by the culture of our era and the attitudes of the people who surround us in our daily lives--this is the story of a man shaped by love and hate, war and peace.