2 Quotes & Sayings By Pj Patterson
P.J. Patterson was born in San Antonio, Texas, where he grew up. His father was a police officer and his mother taught school. After graduating from high school, Patterson went on to the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1968
He enlisted in the United States Army and served for four years. During his tour of duty, he came to know many of the soldiers who had been injured or lost limbs during combat. After leaving the Army in 1970, Patterson went to work with disabled veterans in his hometown of San Antonio.
He enjoyed helping others but knew that there were many more who needed his help. One night during an informal meeting with other volunteers, he decided that he wanted to help people through writing books. That night he wrote out "the story of his life." The book was published in 1977.
It became the first book written by a Vietnam veteran about his personal experiences in the war zone. Since then Patterson has written many more books about veterans' issues and their lives after the war zone.