Forgotten Heroes of World War II: Personal Accounts of Ordinary Soldiers—Land, Sea, and Air, Edition 2

Thomas E. Simmons

Nov 2014 · Rowman & Littlefield

About this ebook

World War II was the defining event of the twentieth century. For everyone it was a time of confusion, fear, destruction, and death on a scale never before seen. Much has been written of the generals, campaigns, and battles of the war, but it was young, ordinary American kids who held our freedom in their hands as they fought for liberty across the globe. Forgotten Heroes of World War II offers a personal understanding of what was demanded of these young heroes through the stories of rank-and-file individuals who served in the navy, marines, army, air corps, and merchant marine in all theaters of the war. Their tales are told without pretense or apology. At the time, each thought himself no different from those around him, for they were all young, scared, and miserable. They were the ordinary, the extraordinary—the forgotten.

Ratings and reviews

I had the honor and privilege to meet three of the men in this book: Oscar Russell, Harry Bell and Jerry O'Keefe at the book launch in Biloxi, Mississippi in November. I felt like I was hugging my dad. He, too, was a WWII vet, William H. Collins, but he died at age 69. Reading this book, I realized how much time I wasted and how I should have listened to him more. Harry Bell was a POW in a Nazi camp and swore to keep his men alive until they were rescued. He did just that, saluting the commander as they rolled in with the tanks, "All men here and accounted for, sir." Brings tears to my eyes. Oscar Russell served in both the European and Pacific theaters. Amazing man! Jerry O'Keefe is a living legend in Biloxi. What an incredible pilot and honorable man. All the men and women who ever served are heroes, and so are their families. I salute them all. — Jeanie Loiacono

Excellent reading thank you

great read

About the author

Thomas E. Simmons is the author of The Brown Condor, Escape from Archangel, and The Man Called Brown Condor. He has served as commercial captain of a seventy-foot sailing vessel, been a pilot since the age of sixteen, flown professionally, and participated in air shows flying aerobatics in open-cockpit bi-planes. In 1960 he served as an artillery officer in Korea. He lives in Gulfport, Mississippi.