David Hackworth was born in Ocean Park, California in 1930. Hackworth lied about his age, joining the Merchant Marine at age 14. He wound up serving in the South Pacific during World War II on a Merchant Marine ship. He wound up officially enlisting in the United States Army in 1946. He served in Korea and Vietnam, eventually obtaining the rank of Colonel. This is the personal memoir of his military career. It was a pretty interesting book if you are into military history or these specific wars. I bought this at my used bookstore locally, and was pleased with the purchase.