Vietnam hero, veteran's advocate shares memoir
As a 21-year-old soldier, Vietnam veteran Sammy Lee Davis faced the worst night of his life with heroism and courage that won him a Medal of Honor and turned him into a well-regarded veteran's advocate.
Davis tells his story when he comes to Anderson's Bookshop with his memoir "You Don't Lose 'Til You Quit Trying: Lessons on Adversity and Victory" at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 5, at 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville. The event is free. To join the signing line, purchase the book from Anderson's Bookshop.
On Nov. 18, 1967, Davis was a private first class when his artillery unit was hit by a massive enemy offensive. At 21 years old, he resolved to face the onslaught and prepared to die. Soon he would have a perforated kidney, crushed ribs, a broken vertebra, his flesh ripped by beehive darts, a bullet in his thigh, and burns all over his body.
Ignoring his injuries, Davis manned a two-ton howitzer by himself, crossed a canal under heavy fire to rescue three wounded American soldiers, and kept fighting until the enemy retreated. His heroism that day earned him a Medal of Honor - the ceremony footage of which ended up being used in the movie "Forrest Gump."
"You Don't Lose 'Til You Quit Trying" chronicles how his childhood in the American Heartland prepared him for the worst night of his life, and how that night set off a lifetime battling against debilitating injuries, the effects of Agent Orange and an America that was turning on its veterans.
But Davis also battled for his fellow veterans, speaking on their behalf for 40 years to help heal the wounds and memorialize the brotherhood that war could forge.
For information about the event, visit andersonsbookshop.com or call (630) 355-2665.
If you go
What: Vietnam veteran Sammy Lee Davis discusses his memoir, "You Don't Lose 'Til You Quit Trying"
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, June 5
Where: Anderson's Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville
Cost: Free; purchase book to get in signing line
Info: (630) 355-2665 or andersonsbookshop.com