Willie Mallard was born in Palm Beach County, Florida, in February 1943, at the height of World War II. Soon thereafter, he and his mother were abandoned by his father in a slum area of Fort Pierce, Florida. The aftermath of that event is described in his auotobiography as he tells of his roller coaster life of poverty, failed loves, a life-long inability to hold down a job — often because of alcoholism — and the anguish and often danger in some of the situations that he encountered. Willie D. Mallard expresses his attempt to “roll with the punches,” and even tries to look at the humorous aspects of some of the adverse situations he has encountered. His favorite expression is: “If they gave out medals for bad luck and misery, I’d be the most decorated son-of-a-bitch in the world.”