War Stories: Utah Beach to Pleiku; 4th Infantry Division: WWII Korea Vietnam

Baton Rouge: Saint John's Press, 2001. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Trade paperback. Good. xxiv, 698, [6] pages. Illustrations. Photo Section. Glossary. Appendices. Contributors. Bibliography. Index of Proper Names. Maps. Signed by the author on the half-title. Sticker residue on half-title. Cover has small tear at top of spine, some tape, and other wear and soiling. Slightly cocked. "War Stories, Utah Beach to Pleiku," is a collection of the memories of veterans and their service in the 4th Infantry Division. The book covers the period of World War II, The Cold War, and Vietnam--more than thirty-years of rich history from 1940 through 1970. In "War Stories," there are 325 accounts from WWII veterans. In them, they describe their early training as they prepared for a war that they knew was coming, but had no name for. In great detail they portray the bloody assault on Utah Beach, on D-Day, June 6, 1944 and their subsequent fight through the hedgerows of Normandy. They were the first division to enter Paris, and they rightfully lay claim to the honor of liberating that famous city. They were the first division to breach the "impenetrable" Siegfried line and assure the destruction of Hitler's war machine. From there, they slugged their way through one of the bloodiest battles of the war in the Hurtgen Forest, going on to distinguish themselves again in the Battle of the Bulge. Their stories are firsthand accounts of the conduct of that war and they conclude with stories from the home front, and their occupation period in the aftermath of WWII. In the 1950s, the 4th Infantry Division faced the Russian threat along the borders of Europe. In Vietnam, the 4th Infantry Division served with distinction and the stories of these Vietnam veterans redefine the word, "sacrifice." In all 450 stories. This is real history as only the men who fought the battles can describe and authenticate. No narrative history can tell it like the men of the 4th Infantry Division. This book has become a source for scholarly research and a book for the shear reading pleasure by those who love soldiers and their "War Stories."