The Life and Times of Garry Wallen

The Life and Times of Garry Wallen is a delightful autobiography covering a historical period from the 1940s to the 2020s. It is a look back at 80 years of the history of an average American man dedicated to making a go at life. Beginning with World War II, it follows the Wallen family, living in the rural farm town of Chesaning, Michigan, as they grew up in the 1940s and 1950s. In his charming stream-of-thought manner, Garry tells it like it was, illuminating the joys and the struggles of the time. Labeled a dunce in school, Garry was kicked out at the age of 17 and joined the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. His story shows a different historical perspective on the war, as he was a skilled airplane mechanic and not directly part of the combat. With the 1960s in full swing, he returned home determined to make something of his new life. Through hard work and determination, he built a life for his family and a home-building business, only to be hit hard by the recession in the 1970s. Amid personal problems and divorce, Garry details how he met his second wife and moved across the country to New Mexico for a fresh start in the early 1980s. Building a new company from scratch, Garry once again illustrates how hard work, determination, and faith make all the difference. Through the 1980s to the early 2000s this 11th-grade dropout helped transform Rio Rancho, NM into the thriving city it is today and built a name for himself, a prosperous retirement, and a good life for his growing family.