My father served in Co G, 104th Regiment 26th Infantry - a sister company to the author's. He refused to talk about the war. When he passed away in 1990, I found his short written memoirs penned during recuperation from wounds suffered in Germany while in an English hospital. Reading this book alongside his memoirs was an incredible experience for me. It filled in many blanks by being much more complete - yet was absolutely true in time, place, and tone with my father's notes. It was like he came back and finally decided to tell me his stories. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

My dad was in M, Co. 104th Rgt. same as author. I lost him on Memorial Day 1969 before he ever had a chance to discuss his experiences as I was only 20. I have been searching for people who were there, and in finding this book, it showed me very clearly how proud I am of him. Thank you Richard for sharing this with all of us.

A marvelous account that takes a different approach to telling the infantryman's story. It is World War II Europe through the eyes of a naïve, young soldier who has little control over his environment but accepts - largely through faith - that everything will work out. Courtney doesn't focus on tactics or battle actions but rather on the relentless grind of bad weather, bad food, and constant danger. He does a first rate job of showing the lighter side of combat - Bill Mauldin in words. He takes the reader on a roller coaster adventure with the 26th Infantry Division traveling across war-torn Europe all the way to Czechoslovakia and Austria. Particularly interesting were the poignant accounts of post-war forced repatriation of Russians, Hungarians, and other eastern Europeans - a dark chapter of World War II which isn't well known. A great read clearly showing the sacrifice that Courtney's generation endured for their society and their buddies. It made me question whether we could duplicate their sacrifice today.