GOULDSBORO, Pa. — No matter where he was deployed, Charles Davis knew he was back home in Gouldsboro when he passed the train station on Main Street.
Since the age of 18, Davis dedicated his life to the U.S. Army, traveling from his home in Wayne County to other countries while fighting in the Gulf War.
What changed wasn't on the battlefield.
"When we were coming back, I was just shopping at the mall, and I started to take a heart attack," he said.
"(The heart attack) pretty much ended my military career. And I think it's really important that when we think about people, and we think about veterans with disabilities, it's not always the ones that you can see," Davis added.
When his mother got the phone call, she had her own version of a heart attack.
"I couldn't believe that he was where he was and came home safe and sound but then came home and had a heart attack. But I was glad he was home because if he had it over there, he would have never come home," said Nancy Davis.
She and Charles' dog Leo stayed by his bedside during recovery, a dark time in his life.
"I went from Superman to nobody the very next day," he said.
But what acted as the light at the end of his tunnel were the people and pets in his life.
"It always seemed like (Leo the dog) knew what I was doing. I didn't have anybody there. I'm a single guy, and I would just have conversations with him," Davis.
His dog Leo became more than just his best friend, but his reason to live.
Since Leo died, Davis began writing a children's book series of their adventures, with plans to come out with a book for every state.
The first book, "The Adventures of Leo the Border Collie from PA," is set in their backyard of Gouldsboro.
"(The book's message is) that we don't give up; that's not what we do," Davis added.
And after hearing his story, the Gouldsboro Train Station wants to honor Leo with more than just a book, but with a statue.
"What if we put Leo on a barrel and put the crates in front of him? And Charles loved that idea," said Karen Learish, a volunteer at the train station.
Davis hopes to remind everyone who passes the train station that they are never alone.
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