08/04/2026
An outstanding WWII memoir, First Patrol into Bastogne, the story of one of WWII's most remarkable soldiers, 1st Lt. Walter Carr. Carr about 2/3s finished his memoirs and I was given the privilege of finishing them up. This book is "all infantry" -- no growing up, training, USO shows, furloughs in Paris. Just infantry: combat, patrols, foxholes, K rations, dealings with higher headquarters. A real hero. Two silver Stars, 3 Purple Hearts.
First Lieutenant Walter Carr is one of the fascinating characters of World War II. College educated, with an ROTC background, he was a replacement platoon commander just as the action got very hot, joining the 80th in mid-September, just as they were crossing the Moselle River and stepping into t...