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 89th Infantry Division many of the Rolling W wrote of their experiences--sometimes in blood. The Division spearheaded one of historys most spectacular pursuits to win the most widespread and deadliest war in history. The mens 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 werent 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.