Military Reading List Monthly
Military Reading List - April 2001 Issue
http://www.militaryreadinglist.com

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE:

- Recommended Book of the Month (Beyond Valor)

- Beyond Valor Book Signing - 31 March 2001

- In the news (U.S. - Taiwan Arms Sales)

- New to the Vietnam list

- Link Partner of the Month

RECOMMENDED BOOK OF THE MONTH

BEYOND VALOR by Patrick O'Donnell

The success of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation has sparked a renewed interest in books about World War II and the people who fought in it. Patrick K. O'Donnell maintains, however, that behind those official histories and carefully crafted memoirs lies a "hidden war"--"a bottled up, buried version shielded even from family members because many of the memories are too painful to discuss." In Beyond Valor, O'Donnell brings this hidden war to the surface, allowing men from the elite forces to tell their own stories, thus creating a fascinating combat history of WWII.  

O'Donnell introduces readers to some of the greatest of the greatest generation--men such as Robert Kinney of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, wounded by a mortar at Anzio ("it tore my fanny open, took a big chunk of meat out of there--I could afford that").  While in the hospital, wounded members of the regiment were asked by one of their officers to return to the front:  We all went down, about forty of us in casts, bandages, arms in slings and everything. He said, "Your buddies up there are catching hell and we've got to go back if we can. You don't have to, we're not going to order you, but we're looking for volunteers." We said, "Hell, we'll go." We had just the best-spirited bunch of scrappers you ever saw.

There are also stories about compassion in the midst of carnage. Albert Hassenzahl of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment was seriously injured on a drop during the Normandy invasion. While waiting to be rescued, the wind blew his blanket off him. A man on an adjacent stretcher reached over and carefully tucked the blanket in around Hassenzahl.  The other man was a German POW. "I didn't say a word to him, but I was able to move my head a little and looked over at him ... neither of us said a word, but mentally I might have said 'thank you' with my eyes and he might have said 'you're welcome' with his."

Though it will certainly appeal to them, O'Donnell insists that Beyond Valor is not aimed at war buffs--it's for the soldiers themselves. "My work has been one of preservation, done in gratitude for a generation that sacrificed so much." By sharing these stories, O'Donnell has helped to preserve and honor their memory.

--Sunny Delaney, History Editor Amazon.com

BEYOND VALOR BOOK SIGNING - 31 MARCH 2001

Book Signing: The author Patrick O'Donnell and several of the WWII Veterans featured in "Beyond Valor" will be at the Springfield, VA Barnes & Noble on 31 March 2001 at 14:00 (2:00 PM). If you are in Northern Virginia make sure to mark your calendar!

Some Highlights:

Patrick O'Donnell - Overview and introduction of Beyond Valor.

Time: 10 minutes

Lt. Sid Salomon: One of the true heroes of D-Day, describes the bloody assault on Omaha Beach and scaling the cliffs at Pointe-de-la-Percee. Here his small group (9 men from an original platoon of 37) knocked out several German mortars that could have devastated the Omaha landings.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

(Optional speaker) Len Lomell: Considered the most dangerous mission on D-Day by General Omar Bradley, Len Lomell describes how 225 Rangers assaulted the cliffs at Pointe-du-Hoc to destroy several large guns. The guns had been towed inland from Allied shore bombardment. Lomell recalls discovering the guns, rendering them inoperable, and the bloody two-day struggle holding off several large German counter-attacks. He also painfully recalls the men he lost.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes (John Burke may also go in place of Lomell).

Chaplain Delbert Keuhl: Described by many military historians as the "Second Omaha Beach", Chaplain Keuhl describes the epic Waal crossing and capture of the Nijmegen bridge. (The fate of Operation Market-Garden rested on whether paratroopers could seize the Nijmegen bridge before the Germans could destroy it.) Keuhl never carried a weapon in combat but was consistently on the front lines providing medical attention to the wounded under heavy fire. Here he relates the crossing from the vantage point of the lead boat and relates the capture the bridge. After the war, Keuhl spent 15 months in an Army hospital undergoing countless surgeries to repair his kidneys that had been dislodged during his first combat jump in Sicily in July 1943. He later spent the rest of his life as an ordained minister providing missionary duty to underdeveloped countries around the world.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Francis Lamoureux:  Mr. Lamoureux was a member of the 508th Pathfinders, whose job it was to mark Drop Zone N with lights and radar guidance equipment for the Normandy Invasion on the night of 5/6 June 1944. The Pathfinders jumped into France some 30 minutes before the arrival of the main airborne effort, and about five hours before the beach landings. They were the "tip of the lance." Here he provides his recollection of D-Day.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Author and veterans in Beyond Valor sign their individual stories.

IN THE NEWS

TAIWAN STRAIT DILEMMAS: China-Taiwan-U.S. Policies in the New Century

by Gerrit W. Gong

No relationship is more critical for international stability than that of China and the United States. No issue is more significant and potentially more explosive than Taiwan. From varied and contrasting backgrounds these essays assess present and prospective dilemmas in the Taiwan Strait--and how stable conditions can be maintained or improved.

-- James R. Schlesinger, CSIS Counselor and former U.S. Secretary of Defense

NEW TO THE VIETNAM READING LIST

To Hanoi and Back: The U.S. Air Force and North Vietnam, 1966-1973

by Wayne Thompson

By the summer of 1966, the U.S. Air Force's reputation had hit rock bottom in Vietnam. After nearly eighteen months of the limited bombing campaign called Operation Rolling Thunder, North Vietnam's airfields, principal port, and capital city remained largely unscathed. In 1972 the two Linebacker campaigns joined with other air operations to make a dramatic, although temporary, difference. Wayne Thompson draws upon twenty years of research in classified records to present a full history of the Air Force role in the war against North Vietnam. He provides an unprecedented view of the motivations and actions of the people involved—from aircrews to generals to politicians—in every phase of the air campaigns.

LINK PARTNER OF THE MONTH

FIGHTER-PLANES.COM - Provides information on 95 different Fighter Planes with their technical information and pictures. Aircraft from the 1930's through the present are included. Examples include:  1930 - 1940 BF-109 Messerschmitt, Hawker Hurricane, A6M Zero, Fokker G.I, JU87 Stuka, Fokker D21 2000 - F22 Raptor, LCA, EuroFighter 2000 Typhoon, S37 Berkut, SU37 Terminator, MiG/MAPO 1.42 MFI, Aurora, FA-18E Super Hornet

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

MilitaryReadingList.com is owned and operated by David Gran and Jeff Stansfield. Both Jeff and Dave are career military officers who came up with the idea for www.militaryreadinglist.com as an educational resource to military personnel and military history enthusiasts.

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