Black '41

by Yenne, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780803234147
• ISBN10: 0803234147
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-12-01
• Publisher: Bison Books

Summary

Black '41opens with the arrival of the class of 1941 at the gates of West Point in the spring of 1937. It follows that classnicknamed "Black '41" for their misdeeds while at the Academyover the course of the next four years, as they absorb the lessons that will help them become military leaders. Their cadet days provide the backdrop for the ominous events in a world headed toward war. It would be a war, as Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson underscored in his commencement address to the class in June 1941, that "may fall, in large measure, upon your shoulders." The U.S. Army into which those new graduating second lieutenants were commissioned in 1941 was in many ways a holdover from the army of an earlier era, with plenty of cavalry but without a single armored division. Black '41 became a key part of the new army, quickly transitioning to a mechanized force and growing its air arm. By the time of the major Pacific and European action, Black '41's officers were captains and majors, and leading soldiers into some of the critical fighting in the war. Told largely through the words of the graduates,Black '41is the coming-of-age story of West Point's finest, during the hour of our country's greatest need.

Author Biography

Bill Yenne is the author of many books on military history, including Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II and Operation Cobra and the Great Offensive. Brigadier General Michael J. L. Greene (U.S. Army, retired) is a former president of the USMA Class of 1941.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Rites of Passage	p. 1
You're in the Army Now	p. 7
Duty, Honor, West Point	p. 27
Reporting for Duty	p. 57
Infamy	p. 71
In the Philippines	p. 79
Awakening the Giant	p. 101
A Grand Strategy	p. 121
Striking Back at the Empire	p. 141
Crusade in Europe	p. 153
The Battle of the Bulge	p. 187
Victory in Europe	p. 209
The Final Victory	p. 253
Between the Wars	p. 265
Korea	p. 277
The Good Years	p. 307
Vietnam	p. 319
Retirement and Reflection	p. 331
Epilogue: The Brothers	p. 343
Directory of the USMA Class of 1941	p. 347
US Army Organization in World War II	p. 367
US Army Organization in the Korean War	p. 369
Decorations Awarded to Members of the Class of 1941 during World War II and the Korean War	p. 371
Bibliography	p. 373
Index	p. 375
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.