The Fighting First The Untold Story Of The Big Red One on D-Day

by Whitlock, Flint

• ISBN13: 9780813343174
• ISBN10: 0813343178
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-06-10
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

The Fighting Firstrecounts the untold story of the 1st Infantry Division's role in the invasion of France at Normandy. Using primary sources, official records, interviews, and unpublished memoirs by the veterans themselves, Flint Whitlock has crafted a riveting, gut-wrenching, personal story of courage under fire. Operation Overlordthe Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944was the most important battle of World War II, and Omaha Beach was the hottest spot in the entire operation. Leading the amphibious assault on the "Easy Red" and "Fox Green" sectors of Omaha Beach was the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division"The Big Red One"a tough, swaggering outfit with a fine battle record. The saga of the Big Red One, however, did not end with the storming of the beachhead, but continued across France, Belgium, and into Germany itself, where the division fought in the battles for Aachen, the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.The Fighting Firstis an inspiring, graphic, and often heart-breaking story of young American soldiers performing their missions with spirit, humor, and determination.

Author Biography

Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Flint Whitlock is a former U.S. Army officer who served on active duty from 1965 to 1970, including a tour in Vietnam. He has been a military historian since 1986 and is the author of Soldiers on Skis, The Rock of Anzio, and The Fighting First. He is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and WW II History magazine. He is the president of the newly formed Colorado Military History Museum, Inc. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	xi
1 "An Army That Won't Complain, Won't Fight"	1	(32)
2 "Overpaid, Oversexed, and Over Here"	33	(34)
3 "Rumors Were Rampant"	67	(24)
4 "Rommel Had Thoroughly Muddled Our Plans"	91	(18)
5 "We Must Give the Order"	109	(20)
6 "What I Saw Was Terrifying"	129	(34)
7 "This Time We Have Failed"	163	(24)
8 "The Feeling of Death in the Air"	187	(28)
9 "I Was King of the Hill"	215	(20)
10 "Pastures of Green Grass, Full of Beautiful Cows"	235	(40)
11 "The Men Are Worn Out"	275	(38)
12 "Today Is a Very Fine Day"	313	(26)
Epilogue	339	(10)
Appendix: 1st Infantry Division Medal of Honor Recipients	349	(2)
Notes	351	(16)
Selected Bibliography	367	(8)
Index	375