Italian-American John Tursi tells of his tough Depression-era Brooklyn childhood, his life-changing experience as a CCC kid in Washington State, his adventures as an Army engineer during World War II, and his post-war life in Anacortes, Washington, as a community volunteer and philanthropist. Originally published in 1989 as Long Journey to the Rose Garden, this is the inspiring true story of John Tursi, an impoverished Depression-era kid from Brooklyn whose life is transformed when he joins the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Stationed at Deception Pass State Park, in Washington State, he falls in love with the Pacific Northwest, and with a girl in the nearby town of Anacortes. The two set about building a life together until World War II breaks out. John is vilified as an Italian-American, but he joins the U.S. Army and, with the 342nd Engineers, lands in France three days after D-Day, dodges bullets behind enemy lines, gets caught up in the Battle of the Bulge, and becomes unwittingly involved in black-market operations run by an aristocratic Belgian seductress. This is a classic account of a poor American kid pulling himself up by the bootstraps and succeeding beyond his wildest dreams. John Tursi, an impoverished Depression-era kid, grew up in in Brooklyn. Turned out on the streets at the age of fourteen, Tursi struggled to survive. Homelessness and hunger forced him to head to the Pacific Northwest where he was inducted into the Civilian Conservation Corp. When WWII broke out, he volunteered for the arm engineers. After the war, Tursi returned to the PNW and went to work for Shell Oil Company. He invested his earnings wisely and dedicated his life to community service. In 1985, he was honored at the White House for his volunteerism and philanthropic endeavors.