Author: Thomas E. Oblinger
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1465334262
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 375
Book Description
This is the story of PFC Raymond Oblinger, an American replacement soldier in the U.S. Army in WWII. Part One takes the reader through the vigorous infantry training in the US, across the Atlantic and into the well-organized replacement system and ultimately into a cold, damp foxhole in France where Ray experienced his baptism of fire in the form of incoming enemy mortar fire. Part Two covers Rays next 5 months in combat with the US 26th Infantry Division in the campaigns of Lorraine in northern France, the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), and the Rhineland. Part Three moves through the US Armys medical care in Europe, and the vast demobilization process. Ray and the reader are finally brought homeward bound and given an Honorable Discharge where Life After Olive Drab is lived until Rays death in 1985. The reader will experience not only the horrors and hardships of war, but also the occasional humor in it.
Old Man from the Repple Depple
Author: Thomas E. Oblinger
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1465334262
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 375
Book Description
This is the story of PFC Raymond Oblinger, an American replacement soldier in the U.S. Army in WWII. Part One takes the reader through the vigorous infantry training in the US, across the Atlantic and into the well-organized replacement system and ultimately into a cold, damp foxhole in France where Ray experienced his baptism of fire in the form of incoming enemy mortar fire. Part Two covers Rays next 5 months in combat with the US 26th Infantry Division in the campaigns of Lorraine in northern France, the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), and the Rhineland. Part Three moves through the US Armys medical care in Europe, and the vast demobilization process. Ray and the reader are finally brought homeward bound and given an Honorable Discharge where Life After Olive Drab is lived until Rays death in 1985. The reader will experience not only the horrors and hardships of war, but also the occasional humor in it.
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1465334262
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 375
Book Description
This is the story of PFC Raymond Oblinger, an American replacement soldier in the U.S. Army in WWII. Part One takes the reader through the vigorous infantry training in the US, across the Atlantic and into the well-organized replacement system and ultimately into a cold, damp foxhole in France where Ray experienced his baptism of fire in the form of incoming enemy mortar fire. Part Two covers Rays next 5 months in combat with the US 26th Infantry Division in the campaigns of Lorraine in northern France, the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), and the Rhineland. Part Three moves through the US Armys medical care in Europe, and the vast demobilization process. Ray and the reader are finally brought homeward bound and given an Honorable Discharge where Life After Olive Drab is lived until Rays death in 1985. The reader will experience not only the horrors and hardships of war, but also the occasional humor in it.
The Gallery
Author: John Horne Burns
Publisher: New York Review of Books
ISBN: 1590178076
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
"The first book of real magnitude to come out of the last war." —John Dos Passos John Horne Burns brought The Gallery back from World War II, and on publication in 1947 it became a critically-acclaimed bestseller. However, Burns's early death at the age of 36 led to the subsequent neglect of this searching book, which captures the shock the war dealt to the preconceptions and ideals of the victorious Americans. Set in occupied Naples in 1944, The Gallery takes its name from the Galleria Umberto, a bombed-out arcade where everybody in town comes together in pursuit of food, drink, sex, money, and oblivion. A daring and enduring novel—one of the first to look directly at gay life in the military—The Gallery poignantly conveys the mixed feelings of the men and women who fought the war that made America a superpower.
Publisher: New York Review of Books
ISBN: 1590178076
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
"The first book of real magnitude to come out of the last war." —John Dos Passos John Horne Burns brought The Gallery back from World War II, and on publication in 1947 it became a critically-acclaimed bestseller. However, Burns's early death at the age of 36 led to the subsequent neglect of this searching book, which captures the shock the war dealt to the preconceptions and ideals of the victorious Americans. Set in occupied Naples in 1944, The Gallery takes its name from the Galleria Umberto, a bombed-out arcade where everybody in town comes together in pursuit of food, drink, sex, money, and oblivion. A daring and enduring novel—one of the first to look directly at gay life in the military—The Gallery poignantly conveys the mixed feelings of the men and women who fought the war that made America a superpower.
My Life as an M.P.
Author: Thomas E. Oblinger
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1465334270
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 314
Book Description
This is the true story of a draftee in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps during the mid-1960s. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 describe Army life in detail from the Draft Board Office in November 1965, to the Induction Station in Detroit, the Reception Station and Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on through Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Chapters 4 and 5 cover duties the 218th MP Company serving a peace-keeping mission in the Dominican Republic, to the 503rd MP Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Chapter 6 describes duties as an MP guard with the 22nd MP Platoon (100th MP Battalion) at the Fort Bragg Post Stockade. Chapter 7 brings Tom Homeward Bound, and Chapter 8 tells of Life after Olive Drab. The author illustrates how humorous life in Olive Drab can be, while describing many serious aspects of Military Police duty.
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1465334270
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 314
Book Description
This is the true story of a draftee in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps during the mid-1960s. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 describe Army life in detail from the Draft Board Office in November 1965, to the Induction Station in Detroit, the Reception Station and Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on through Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Chapters 4 and 5 cover duties the 218th MP Company serving a peace-keeping mission in the Dominican Republic, to the 503rd MP Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Chapter 6 describes duties as an MP guard with the 22nd MP Platoon (100th MP Battalion) at the Fort Bragg Post Stockade. Chapter 7 brings Tom Homeward Bound, and Chapter 8 tells of Life after Olive Drab. The author illustrates how humorous life in Olive Drab can be, while describing many serious aspects of Military Police duty.
American Girls, Beer, and Glenn Miller
Author: James J. Cooke
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 0826272843
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 367
Book Description
"Cooke's examination of the Special Services and PX System during World War II, a subject previously overlooked by scholars, shows that these goods and services kept the armed forces' spirits up under the alienating conditions of global war."—Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century As World War II dawned in Europe, General George C. Marshall, the new Army Chief of Staff, had to acknowledge that American society—and the citizens who would soon become soldiers—had drastically changed in the previous few decades. Almost every home had a radio, movies could talk, and driving in an automobile to the neighborhood soda fountain was part of everyday life. A product of newly created mass consumerism, the soldier of 1940 had expectations of material comfort, even while at war. Historian James J. Cooke presents the first comprehensive look at how Marshall’s efforts to cheer soldiers far from home resulted in the enduring morale services that the Army provides still today. Marshall understood that civilian soldiers provided particular challenges and wanted to improve the subpar morale services that had been provided to Great War doughboys. Frederick Osborn, a civilian intellectual, was called to head the newly formed morale branch, which quickly became the Special Services Division. Hundreds of on-post movie theaters showing first-run movies at reduced prices, service clubs where GIs could relax, and inexpensive cafeterias were constructed. The Army Exchange System took direction under Brigadier General Joseph Byron, offering comfort items at low prices; the PX sold everything from cigarettes and razor blades to low-alcohol beer in very popular beer halls. The great civic organizations—the YMCA, the Salvation Army, the Jewish Welfare Board, and others—were brought together to form the United Service Organizations (USO). At USO Camp Shows, admired entertainers like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Frances Langford brought home-style entertainment to soldiers within the war zones. As the war heightened in intensity, the Special Service Companies grew to over forty in number, each containing more than one hundred enlisted men. Trained in infantry skills, soldiers in the companies at times would have to stop showing movies, pick up their rifles, and fight. The Special Services Division, PX, and USO were crucial elements in maintaining GI morale, and Cooke’s work makes clear the lasting legacy of these efforts to boost the average soldier’s spirits almost a century ago. The idea that as American soldiers serve abroad, they should have access to at least some of the comforts of home has become a cultural standard.
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 0826272843
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 367
Book Description
"Cooke's examination of the Special Services and PX System during World War II, a subject previously overlooked by scholars, shows that these goods and services kept the armed forces' spirits up under the alienating conditions of global war."—Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century As World War II dawned in Europe, General George C. Marshall, the new Army Chief of Staff, had to acknowledge that American society—and the citizens who would soon become soldiers—had drastically changed in the previous few decades. Almost every home had a radio, movies could talk, and driving in an automobile to the neighborhood soda fountain was part of everyday life. A product of newly created mass consumerism, the soldier of 1940 had expectations of material comfort, even while at war. Historian James J. Cooke presents the first comprehensive look at how Marshall’s efforts to cheer soldiers far from home resulted in the enduring morale services that the Army provides still today. Marshall understood that civilian soldiers provided particular challenges and wanted to improve the subpar morale services that had been provided to Great War doughboys. Frederick Osborn, a civilian intellectual, was called to head the newly formed morale branch, which quickly became the Special Services Division. Hundreds of on-post movie theaters showing first-run movies at reduced prices, service clubs where GIs could relax, and inexpensive cafeterias were constructed. The Army Exchange System took direction under Brigadier General Joseph Byron, offering comfort items at low prices; the PX sold everything from cigarettes and razor blades to low-alcohol beer in very popular beer halls. The great civic organizations—the YMCA, the Salvation Army, the Jewish Welfare Board, and others—were brought together to form the United Service Organizations (USO). At USO Camp Shows, admired entertainers like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Frances Langford brought home-style entertainment to soldiers within the war zones. As the war heightened in intensity, the Special Service Companies grew to over forty in number, each containing more than one hundred enlisted men. Trained in infantry skills, soldiers in the companies at times would have to stop showing movies, pick up their rifles, and fight. The Special Services Division, PX, and USO were crucial elements in maintaining GI morale, and Cooke’s work makes clear the lasting legacy of these efforts to boost the average soldier’s spirits almost a century ago. The idea that as American soldiers serve abroad, they should have access to at least some of the comforts of home has become a cultural standard.
Chewing Gum, Candy Bars, and Beer
Author: James J. Cooke
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 0826272029
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Veterans of World War II have long sung the praises of the PX—a little piece of home in far-flung corners of the world. Though many books on that war tell of combat operations and logistics in detail, this is the first to tell the full story of the Army Exchange System. The AES was dedicated to providing soldiers with some of the comforts they had enjoyed in civilian life—candy, beer, cigarettes, razor blades, soap—whether by operating an exchange close to where they were fighting or by sending goods forward to the lines, free of charge. The beer may have been only “3.2,” but it was cheap and, unlike British beer, was served cold, thanks to PX coolers. And a constant supply of cigarettes and chewing gum gave GIs an advantage when flirting with the local girls. In chronicling the history of the AES, James J. Cooke harks back to the Civil War, in which sutlers sold basic items to the Yankee troops for exorbitant prices, and to the First World War, when morale-building provisions were brought in by agencies such as the Red Cross. He then traces the evolution of the PX through World War II from the point of view of those who ran the service and that of the soldiers who used it, blending administrative history with colorful anecdotes and interspersing letters from GIs. Cooke views the PX as a manifestation of American mobility, materialism, and the cultural revolution of mass consumerism that flourished in the 1920s, serving soldiers who were themselves products of this new American way of retail and expected a high level of material support in time of war. He emphasizes the accomplishments of Major General Joseph W. Byron, chief PX officer from 1941 to 1943, and his deputy, Colonel Frank Kerr. He also tells how the PX dealt with the presence of large numbers of women in uniform and the need to meet their demands in exchange offerings. By 1945, General Byron could boast that the Army Exchange Service operated the world’s largest department store chain, serving the grandest army the United States had ever put in the field, and today the PX is still a central factor of military life. Yet as Cooke shows, the key to the AES’s importance was ultimately the way it bolstered morale—and helped give our fighting men the will to keep fighting.
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 0826272029
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Veterans of World War II have long sung the praises of the PX—a little piece of home in far-flung corners of the world. Though many books on that war tell of combat operations and logistics in detail, this is the first to tell the full story of the Army Exchange System. The AES was dedicated to providing soldiers with some of the comforts they had enjoyed in civilian life—candy, beer, cigarettes, razor blades, soap—whether by operating an exchange close to where they were fighting or by sending goods forward to the lines, free of charge. The beer may have been only “3.2,” but it was cheap and, unlike British beer, was served cold, thanks to PX coolers. And a constant supply of cigarettes and chewing gum gave GIs an advantage when flirting with the local girls. In chronicling the history of the AES, James J. Cooke harks back to the Civil War, in which sutlers sold basic items to the Yankee troops for exorbitant prices, and to the First World War, when morale-building provisions were brought in by agencies such as the Red Cross. He then traces the evolution of the PX through World War II from the point of view of those who ran the service and that of the soldiers who used it, blending administrative history with colorful anecdotes and interspersing letters from GIs. Cooke views the PX as a manifestation of American mobility, materialism, and the cultural revolution of mass consumerism that flourished in the 1920s, serving soldiers who were themselves products of this new American way of retail and expected a high level of material support in time of war. He emphasizes the accomplishments of Major General Joseph W. Byron, chief PX officer from 1941 to 1943, and his deputy, Colonel Frank Kerr. He also tells how the PX dealt with the presence of large numbers of women in uniform and the need to meet their demands in exchange offerings. By 1945, General Byron could boast that the Army Exchange Service operated the world’s largest department store chain, serving the grandest army the United States had ever put in the field, and today the PX is still a central factor of military life. Yet as Cooke shows, the key to the AES’s importance was ultimately the way it bolstered morale—and helped give our fighting men the will to keep fighting.
Stephen E. Ambrose The Men of War E-book Box Set
Author: Stephen E. Ambrose
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476756929
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1221
Book Description
This ebook box set includes books by Stephen E. Ambrose that bring into focus the men and women who fought in World War II. The Victors: A breathtaking work that follows the momentous events of the war from D-Day through to the final days, centering this epic drama on the citizen soldiers, the boys who became men as they fought, proving eventually unbeatable. A compelling celebration of military genius and heroism, and of camaraderie and courage. Citizen Soldiers: A riveting account that follows the individual characters of World War II, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, this is the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it. Wild Blue: Following this exceptional band of brothers, the young men who flew the B-24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds, Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship with the vivid detail and affection.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476756929
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1221
Book Description
This ebook box set includes books by Stephen E. Ambrose that bring into focus the men and women who fought in World War II. The Victors: A breathtaking work that follows the momentous events of the war from D-Day through to the final days, centering this epic drama on the citizen soldiers, the boys who became men as they fought, proving eventually unbeatable. A compelling celebration of military genius and heroism, and of camaraderie and courage. Citizen Soldiers: A riveting account that follows the individual characters of World War II, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, this is the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it. Wild Blue: Following this exceptional band of brothers, the young men who flew the B-24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds, Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship with the vivid detail and affection.
Writers on World War II
Author: Mordecai Richler
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780099225812
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 772
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780099225812
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 772
Book Description
The Batter's Box
Author: Andy Kutler
Publisher: Warriors Publishing Group via PublishDrive
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
In 1946, a returning World War II veteran is determined to reclaim his place among professional baseball's upper echelon and win back the woman he once fell for. Two months into the new season, at the top of his game, he abandons his team, casting aside his fame and riches and vanishing forever from the public eye. What drives a man to walk away from everything he cherishes, never to be heard from again? THE BATTER'S BOX follows the path of Will Jamison, a star player with the Washington Senators who enlists in the U.S. Army following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. When the war ends, Jamison returns to Washington, a decorated hero tormented by deep emotional scars. Burdened with a crushing guilt and harrowing memories he cannot escape, Jamison's life is consumed by an explosive temper, sleepless nights, and a gradual descent into alcoholism. Will he continue, alone with his anguish and misery? Or will he level with those around him, including the woman he loves, and seek the professional care he desperately needs, even at the risk of exposing his most closely guarded secrets?
Publisher: Warriors Publishing Group via PublishDrive
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
In 1946, a returning World War II veteran is determined to reclaim his place among professional baseball's upper echelon and win back the woman he once fell for. Two months into the new season, at the top of his game, he abandons his team, casting aside his fame and riches and vanishing forever from the public eye. What drives a man to walk away from everything he cherishes, never to be heard from again? THE BATTER'S BOX follows the path of Will Jamison, a star player with the Washington Senators who enlists in the U.S. Army following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. When the war ends, Jamison returns to Washington, a decorated hero tormented by deep emotional scars. Burdened with a crushing guilt and harrowing memories he cannot escape, Jamison's life is consumed by an explosive temper, sleepless nights, and a gradual descent into alcoholism. Will he continue, alone with his anguish and misery? Or will he level with those around him, including the woman he loves, and seek the professional care he desperately needs, even at the risk of exposing his most closely guarded secrets?
Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army From The Beaches of Normandy to the Surrender of Germany
Author: Stephen E. Ambrose
Publisher: PREMIER DIGITAL PUBLISHING
ISBN: 1937624463
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 393
Book Description
In this riveting account, historian Stephen Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it. From June 7, 1944, on the beaches of Normandy to the final battles of Germany, acclaimed historian Stephen E. Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews and oral histories from men on both sides to write a compelling and comprehensive portrait of the Citizen Soldiers who made up the U.S. Army. Ambrose re-creates the experiences of the individuals who fought the battle, from high command - Eisenhower, Bradley, and Patton - on down to the enlisted men. Within the chronological story, there are chapters on medics, nurses, and doctors; on the quartermasters; on the replacements; on what it was like to spend a night on the front lines; on sad sacks, cowards, and criminals; on Christmas 1944; and on weapons of all kinds. In this engrossing history, Ambrose reveals the learning process of a great army - how to cross rivers, how to fight in snow or hedgerows, how to fight in cities, how to coordinate air and ground campaigns, and how citizens become soldiers. Throughout, the perspective is that of the enlisted men and junior officers - and how decisions of the brass affected them.
Publisher: PREMIER DIGITAL PUBLISHING
ISBN: 1937624463
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 393
Book Description
In this riveting account, historian Stephen Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it. From June 7, 1944, on the beaches of Normandy to the final battles of Germany, acclaimed historian Stephen E. Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews and oral histories from men on both sides to write a compelling and comprehensive portrait of the Citizen Soldiers who made up the U.S. Army. Ambrose re-creates the experiences of the individuals who fought the battle, from high command - Eisenhower, Bradley, and Patton - on down to the enlisted men. Within the chronological story, there are chapters on medics, nurses, and doctors; on the quartermasters; on the replacements; on what it was like to spend a night on the front lines; on sad sacks, cowards, and criminals; on Christmas 1944; and on weapons of all kinds. In this engrossing history, Ambrose reveals the learning process of a great army - how to cross rivers, how to fight in snow or hedgerows, how to fight in cities, how to coordinate air and ground campaigns, and how citizens become soldiers. Throughout, the perspective is that of the enlisted men and junior officers - and how decisions of the brass affected them.
Battling Buzzards
Author: Gerald Astor
Publisher: Dell
ISBN: 0307565610
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 432
Book Description
The Few and the Brave Convinced by 1943 that the assault upon Nazi-held Europe would yield swiftly to elite troops, the U.S. Army created parachute regimental combat teams. Drawing on daring volunteers willing to hurl themselves from airplanes and hit the ground fighting, the 517th PRCT became one of the most highly trained airborne units in the world. Blooded in northern Italy in 1944, the Battling Buzzards dropped at night in southern France for the second D-day to spearhead a savage advance through the Champagne region and then into the Alps. Gerald Astor, acclaimed author of A Blood-Dimmed Tide, draws on the words of the men of the 517th to create this gripping, action-packed account of a unit that existed for only two years but fought heroically to defeat the vaunted German forces. From its campaign in Italy to its assault in the French Alps, the Battling Buzzards helped push the Germans out of southern Europe one fierce, close-quarter battle at a time. Then, after six months of nonstop action, the exhausted, battle-hardened 517th was called into the ultimate battle — at a place called The Bulge....
Publisher: Dell
ISBN: 0307565610
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 432
Book Description
The Few and the Brave Convinced by 1943 that the assault upon Nazi-held Europe would yield swiftly to elite troops, the U.S. Army created parachute regimental combat teams. Drawing on daring volunteers willing to hurl themselves from airplanes and hit the ground fighting, the 517th PRCT became one of the most highly trained airborne units in the world. Blooded in northern Italy in 1944, the Battling Buzzards dropped at night in southern France for the second D-day to spearhead a savage advance through the Champagne region and then into the Alps. Gerald Astor, acclaimed author of A Blood-Dimmed Tide, draws on the words of the men of the 517th to create this gripping, action-packed account of a unit that existed for only two years but fought heroically to defeat the vaunted German forces. From its campaign in Italy to its assault in the French Alps, the Battling Buzzards helped push the Germans out of southern Europe one fierce, close-quarter battle at a time. Then, after six months of nonstop action, the exhausted, battle-hardened 517th was called into the ultimate battle — at a place called The Bulge....