A Footsoldier for Patton

This firsthand account follows an American infantryman who fought under General Patton in Europe during the Second World War. Rather than the swift armored thrusts Patton's name usually calls to mind, the author describes the slower, costlier work of the foot soldiers sent to clear fortified positions. Because he spoke German fluently, he was often pulled away from ordinary duties to question prisoners and handle other special assignments. He also served as a combat lifeguard, helping his unit cross rivers under fire. From the landings in Normandy to the advance into Germany, he describes the hardships of daily life at the front, the dangerous snipers, the dark humor soldiers used to cope, and the brutal fighting around Metz. The account later reaches the regiment's move into the Ardennes and its first winter battle against German veterans of the Eastern Front.