The author, born in the Ozarks where he spent his boyhood, tells his story of action in the Korean War as a combat medic who helped save the lives of many American soldiers. He relieves the memories of his Ozarks boyhood in these pages, and tells about adventures in Alaska, where he took his family to seek a better life for them.

"Whether he was fifteen years old or forty, David Hackworth devoted himself to the U.S. Army and quickly became a living legend. In 1971, however, he appeared on television to decry the doomed war effort in Vietnam. From Korea to Berlin, from the Cuban missile crisis to Vietnam, Hackworth's story is that of an exemplary patriot, played out against the backdrop of the changing fortunes of America and the American military. It is also a stunning indictment...