A teenager searching for his own identity. A U.S. President seeking a bold new strategy. 'Calvary: A Soldier's Memoir' is a raw, unfiltered, and powerful new book by Purple Heart recipient and keynote speaker David Kendrick, Jr. At 17, David enlists in the U.S. Army as a Calvary Scout and finds himself on a collision course with history. By 19, he's embarked on a perilous journey far from the gang-ridden inner-city he sought to escape. Peace is unraveling in Iraq, where terrorist insurgencies and deadlier roadside bombs are exacting a heavy toll. A proud member of the 3-61st Cavalry Regiment, David is part of the historic 30,000 troop surge ordered by President Bush. Despite living in a combat zone with a bullseye on his back, David is happy. He's formed deep bonds that will last a lifetime, and he's respected by his peers and commanding officers. But on this particularly sweltering Father's Day in 2007 (the deadliest year of the war), a snipers' bullets would shatter his world and forever reshape his future.