Jack Ballas served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, and received 12 battle stars for his service. In his younger days, he ran a honky-tonk saloon in the South (with the help of a 12-gauge shotgun), rode the rails, and found himself lost deep in the Everglades. He was taken in by a band of Seminole Indians, whom he credits with saving his life. Ballas now makes his home in Fort Worth, Texas.