For author Edward L. McDermott, his life's journey began January 8, 1933, in Troy, New York. In this memoir, he shares his personal story and how circumstances led him from N. Y. to California. From Watervliet to California narrates a host of McDermott's experiences beginning with his childhood days growing in Watervliet, New York, with his parents and his older sister Joan. Decade by decade, he details his memories and the pivotal moments, including childhood and teenage years, joining and serving in the Navy, attending and graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology, his first professional job in Chicago, marriage to Marilyn and moving to California. From a small town in Upstate New York to a suburb of the largest city in California, From Watervliet to California chronicles McDermott's story of a life well lived. Infused with humor, it tells of the ups and downs and the challenges and the joys.