CONTENTS
- The Battle at Moncel
- The First Allied Troops to Cross the Seine River
- Taking the Hill
- Ramecourt and Ramecourt Revisited
- The Sergeant's Annual Christmas Telephone Call
- Eight Narrow Escapes
- Meeting the French
INTRODUCTION
hen G Company landed on Utah Beach there were 189 men and 8 officers. When I had to go to the hospital, there were 59 men, most of them replacements, and one officer and he was a replacement. There were 4 of the original 42 non-coms. My 136 days as a 1st Lt. Platoon Leader were the longest any officer lasted. Some men were reluctant to serve under me, because they believed my number was up, and they didn't want to be in a leaderless platoon.
Stephan Ambrose, the outstanding historian of America's role in Europe in World War II, states that 70% of the casualties were sustained by 10% of the troops, the likes of Company G and its counterparts. Platoon officers were the most expendable as the enemy worked to knock off the leaders. Their motto as proclaimed at Officer's Candidate's School was "Follow me."
The following chapters describe events which illustrate why there was such a casualty rate. But also there are descriptions of day-to-day life in the Infantry, G.I. humor, and even some good times.
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