{"id":39233,"date":"2013-05-15T12:26:43","date_gmt":"2013-05-15T18:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/?p=39233"},"modified":"2018-03-28T12:53:44","modified_gmt":"2018-03-28T18:53:44","slug":"book-signingreception-to-be-held-monday-may-27-for-the-four-generals-of-hard-work-u-extraordinary-lives-of-ordinary-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/2013\/05\/15\/book-signingreception-to-be-held-monday-may-27-for-the-four-generals-of-hard-work-u-extraordinary-lives-of-ordinary-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Signing\/Reception to Be Held Monday, May 27 for The Four Generals of Hard Work U.: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Men"},"content":{"rendered":"

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College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis will autograph copies of his latest book, The Four Generals of Hard Work U.: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Men, during a book signing\/reception event on May 27, 1-3 p.m. in The Keeter Center. The public is welcome to attend the book signing\/cake and ice cream reception. Copies of the book will be available for sale on site.
\nUpon learning the inspirational stories of School of the Ozarks alumni Terrence R. Dake, Gary H. Hughey, Jerry W. Ragsdale, and Tommy I. Bell, Dr. Davis set out to write the book.
\nRecounting each man\u2019s journey from humble beginnings as teenagers attending the work school located in Point Lookout, MO, to the rank of general in the United States Military, The Four Generals of Hard Work U., as General Peter Pace describes in the book\u2019s foreword, \u201creveals how the same values led four alumni to the very pinnacle of their success.\u201d General Pace, the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served in the U.S. Marine Corps with two of the four general officers, General Dake and General Hughey, profiled in the book.
\n\u201cThe fact that such an Ozarks school provided the gateway to prominence for such a level of leadership has always been intriguing,\u201d explains Davis. \u201cIt has been an especially meaningful experience to trace the lives and accomplishments and service of four alumni who rose to such high ranks.\u201d
\nGenerals Dake, Hughey, Ragsdale, and Bell assumed heavy leadership responsibilities. General Dake rose to the position of Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998. Lieutenant General Gary H. Hughey served as Deputy Commander, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Major General Jerry W. Ragsdale was named Commander of the Texas Air National Guard, Hensley Field in Dallas, Texas, 1987. The late Brigadier General Tommy I. Bell, who was buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery in August 2011, started out as a fighter pilot with the 71st Fighter-Inceptor Squadron and eventually served his country in the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
\nDavis tells each general\u2019s life story through either their own words or those of individuals who know them well. \u201cThe purpose of this book is to relate the extraordinary lives of a few leaders,\u201d said Davis. \u201cIndeed, one does not have to be a general in the U.S. military to serve with honor. In fact, the four generals of \u2018Hard Work U.,\u2019 would be the first to point this out, for they know the sacrifice of alumni such as Roy Hopper (former POW), Earl Woodard (Army Air Corps), Kaney Willbanks (former Japanese POW), and countless others who gave their lives in service to America.\u201d
\nThe 234-page book does more than simply tell a story. It is dedicated to Veterans of the Vietnam Era who answered their country\u2019s call and served with honor. All proceeds from the book go toward the College\u2019s Patriotic Education Travel Program, wherein the College sends students to accompany Veterans back to their fields of battle in order to learn about history and sacrifice from the men and women who lived it.
\nTo purchase a copy of the The Four Generals of Hard Work U.: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Men priced at $17.95, including tax and shipping, please go to contact www.cofo.edu<\/a> or call (417) 690-3395.<\/p>\n

About the Author:
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Jerry C. Davis is President of College of the Ozarks. After graduating from the Berry Schools in Mount Berry, GA, he attended Truett McConnell College in Cleveland, GA, before receiving his B.S. degree from Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, NC; an M.S. degree from the University of Tennessee; and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Prior to coming to College of the Ozarks, Dr. Davis served as President of Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, KY.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis will autograph copies of his latest book, The Four Generals of Hard Work U.: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Men, during a book signing\/reception event on May 27, 1-3 p.m. in The Keeter Center. The public is welcome to attend the book signing\/cake and ice cream reception. Copies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[12,16,71,31,11,13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39233"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39233\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}