David Volk was born and raised in Mitchell, South Dakota. He served in the US Army as a combat photographer with the 101st Airborne Division. He has published six books, including Draftee: A High School Teacher Goes to War, which chronicles his time in the army, and My Grandpa's War, a children's book about Vietnam. He has won multiple Independent Publisher awards for outstanding regional children's books. He lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.