Received a really interesting letter from a gentleman that I have never met, nor even talked with. He served in the US Army, in an Infantry unit in Vietnam, as an enlisted soldier and won a Silver Star during the Battle of Hamburger Hill. He never mentioned that in his letter; guys like him almost never do! Here is what he wrote:
“Congratulations on a job well done!
Until I read your book I really had no idea how bad our troops had it in Europe during the war. Up until now I’ve never read any daily accounts of any of the battles and most of everything I’ve ever known has come from Hollywood movies, which really doesn’t say much, and historical documentaries that only did a slightly better job of it.
However, neither of those two brought to life what you managed to do with Dying Hard. People who never served in World War II, or any war for that matter, need to read this factual account. To help them understand what the cost of war really is.
You did an outstanding job presenting the material in such detail that I could feel B Company’s pain and suffering. I had no idea that the shelling of defensive positions had caused so many wounds and deaths during the war. I cannot imagine what
that would have been like on a daily basis and glad I never had to go through it. Also, the day to day battle with the cold and wind, trench foot, and frost bite must have been demoralizing to these men, along with their general living conditions.
I salute those boys, I salute them all. You should be very proud of this book, and I’m sure your father and all of his combat buddies would agree with me.”
Sure hope I get to meet him someday!