About the Author

Pfc. Richard D. Courtney served in the U.S. Army from 1943 until 1946.  Now retired, he lives in Muncie, Indiana.

Reviews

“[Courtney] remembers the sound of gunshots cracking the cold air, the sound of 57 mm shells exploding, and machine guns shattering the sleepless night.  He remembers his buddies’ voices, and he remembers the sound of their screams
. . . . His story isn’t the sweeping saga of war, the battle plans, the strategies, the politics, the flashy generals. His story is the diary of the GI, the privates who he believes won the war.”—The [Lafayette] Journal and Courier “Using his diary, letters, newspaper accounts, and photographs, Courtney shares his thoughts and those of his fellow soldiers. . . .  Courtney does not focus on war tactics.  As an infantryman, he was not privy to the big decisions and grand strategy. He does, however, understand and communicate intimately the reality of a line combat soldier facing a retreating but deadly enemy in day-to-day struggle.”—The [Scranton] Sunday Times “What makes Richard Courtney’s story so incredible is that, at that time and in those places, it was so ordinary. Along with countless other young Americans in Europe and the Pacific, Courtney was simply doing what he was trained to do, what he felt morally obligated to do. And, at the same time, he was simply trying to survive. As history shows and this book testifies, many didn’t.”—Catholic Heritage