The Medic: Life and Death in the Last Days of World War II

by Leo Litwak

A World War II medic shares his story for the first time, detailing the intense combat and human drama he experienced as he patched up men on the frontlines during the final days of the war. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, World War II, Biography, War, Autobiography

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"[Our sergeant] said 'do your job and don't expect rewards' . . . Medals were bull****. The only thing worth hoping for was to get the job done and go home. Forget the medals . . . If you survived, be grateful. If you came home with eyesight and arms and legs intact that was enough." -- page 71

In 1943 author Litwak was a young student at the University of Michigan when he was drafted into America's effort in WWII. The son of first-generation Russian-Jewish immigrants, he wanted to "be useful," so he changed his major to premed although he did not necessarily want to serve in the U.S. Army's medical corps. However, as 'Uncle Sam' ultimately makes those decisions Litwak soon found himself being pressed into the position of medic, a non-combatant soldier - he was not issued a rifle - assigned to a front-line infantry squad in Europe. He served during the war's last year (1944-1945).

"Being alive was a transient, easily modified condition - no intrinsic joy in it. Killing was simple - dying was scarier than ever. I [just wanted] to return to Detroit and resume my life." -- page 204

Litwak dramatized his war-time experiences in The Medic, which starts out a little rough and choppy during the early basic training segments. However, once Litwak is overseas and in the thick of it during the waning days of the European Theater his narrative becomes much more powerful. He details tensions in the ranks - his fellow American soldiers, hailing from all different regions of the country, often held staunchly different political / religious / moralistic views, which led to fights and many arguments - and the over-reliance on 'fraternization' with local women who were either working as slave labor and/or impromptu prostitutes. On top of THAT there was the expected misery, such as particularly sad moment when the platoon's well-liked sergeant (described as a "careful and thoughtful" man) was killed in action. It was not a perfect book, but it was a stark portrayal of some good but flawed men who either did bad things or experienced them, first-hand, in the service of their country. 'War is hell' may be an overused phrase, but it certainly fits here.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this is a fairly quick read, I will admit to not being able to finish this book. I had to put it down after 79 pages. The characters portrayed in this true life experience made me feel pity and disgust for them and their chosen activities during WWII. I realize that war can be full of awful experiences and people can be reduced to animalistic behaviors, but I personally do not want to read about this sort of thing happening. This is a very gritty, very raw account of an American Army medic in WWII. I felt uncomfortable at times reading what some of these men did during the war. I'll not elaborate as I don't want to give too much away.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up to read as part of my research into my Dad's service as a medic in World War II. I received much more than research. It is an excellent memoir of life in the hell that war is. At best, war sucks! Otherwise normal people turn into heroes or monsters. Sometimes both depending on the situation. Litwak's narrative is personal, emotionally uncertain, written many years after the fact with an insight that I am sure the young Leo didn't have. I saw one review here on Goodreads where the person was offended by some of the stories and actions of some of the GIs. Agreed- they were awful; offensive may be too polite for some of it. But I am glad I read it and it helps me understand a little of the day to day situation my Dad would have found himself in.

[Jerimy Stoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WWII war novel about a Jewish medic at the tail end of WWII stationed on the front lines. Non-fiction war novels can teach us a ton about human nature and instincts. Leo had visions of being a great combatant dealing out death, destruction, and punishment to the demonized Germans. God had different plans for his life, and he ended up as a non-combatant medic. As a medic he suffered the death of friends and foes and was obligated to patch people up regardless of their status as enemies or friendlies. He was 19 when he came into service, which was and is pretty typical. I was 19 when I joined the service as well. 19 is an awkward age where one is considered an adult, but still has qualities and parts of a youthful mindset. Hormones are raging at this point in people's lives as it is the peak time for perpetuating the human race. This would make it all the more confusing to people to be in a position to kill one another.

Some very important life lessons are entrenched in this book. The first lesson, and one of the most important ones is that most people, save for psychopaths, sociopaths, and narcissists have feelings. People can dissociate their feelings, or put them off, or even deny their existence, but they are always there even if they are existing in the shadows. One can rest assured that when one least expects it, they will jump into the light and pounce on you. This is how Leo's story starts. His feelings pounced on him when he least expected them to. He wasn't even aware that he had them. This has happened to me, and I am sure it has happened to the vast majority of human beings. When people are exposed to anything that is intense - war, trauma, sex, marriage, live birth, tragedy, miracles, joyful occasions, and so on - they will have feelings associated with those events. My advice is to let the feeling flow as things happen. No one wants to be blindsided by a lurking feeling. Feelings don't care about convenience, or appearances, or even right or wrong. Feelings just are and holding them in will only make them more powerful and aggressive. The other side of the coin is that if feelings are help in too long, they can damage the heart (metaphorically speaking) and cause a person to lose the ability to have them altogether. Feelings are not our enemy, we have them so that we can move past or experience fully whatever we are going through at the moment.

This is a great book, and I hope the author learned the lessons in life he was seeking. I recommend this book to anyone who likes war novels, is interested in history, is searching for truth, or just wants a short engaging read. Leo writes with candor, and he doesn't brag about what he's been through. The pages are full of humility. We could all benefit from having a Leo in our lives. A person who is far wiser than they give themselves credit for. A person who can see evil for what it is yet experience it in a human way.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Litwak taught English literature at San Francisco State University for over thirty years, which explains the high quality of the prose in this book. During World War II he was a medic in the U. S. Army, in the front lines during the move into Germany until his unit met with Russian forces coming from the East.
The recounting of his experiences demonstrate that there were truly all kinds of personalities in the Army. Everything from a man that fought on the side of the International Brigades in the Civil War in Spain to men that simply didn’t care about much of anything. Concerned only with moving towards the war ending with the least possible inconvenience. If that meant shooting surrendering Germans, then so be it.
Within Litwak’s wartime experiences, there are two that stand out and are repeated several times. One is a German rocket attack that eviscerates one and blows the leg off another of his buddies. Both are killed. He comes back to that event several times. The other is about an experience when he is on leave in Paris. While there, he meets an apparently shy young woman named Marishka. After a bit of hard-to-get maneuvering, they do end up in a pay-for-play arrangement. She is mentioned several times after that and when the war is over and Litwak is being discharged, he goes back to Paris to search for her.
The war in Europe was brutal and it changed the people dramatically. Yet, even within the carnage and inhumanity, many aspects of humanity remain. There is the need to remain human, to some that need is little more than carnal, yet to many others, it means basic acts of kindness shown to people that may not survive without it. Both are present in this book.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, beautifully written and very engaging. It begins with basic training the transition into a medic role and then front line duties right up until wars end in Europe and then the possibility of a move to Japanese theatre finally with the two atom bombs all is finished.

Very much about Leo’s own experiences as a medic, those that he saved and those that died in his arms.

Never should be forgotten- All of it!!

[Deep Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading military history. Recently I have found stories of individual soldiers more compelling that descriptions of overall strategy or events. There was a gritty honesty to this book that I appreciated

[T L Oestmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

This soldier's story so reminds me of my late father in law. Whether precisely based on facts or only a loose blending, Leo has caught what at least some of the men experienced.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This honest and transparent account of WWII led me to pause and reflect several times, obtaining a glimpse of its realties. I thank you for this honesty and transparency and most importantly your service.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is one of the best World War II autobiographies I have read. The author was an excellent writer and made the war very real in my eyes. Read it!

[Melinda Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I didn't like the writing style as much but the overall context was great.

[Brad Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An easy, engaging read. The usual harrowing experiences common to World War II plus some unique perspectives of someone who was a medic at the war's end over at the Russian line.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good pretty good

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I choose this book The Medic by Leo Litwak because I love to read about history. The book is an autobiography about Leo Litwak, a medic during World War II. The protagonist of the story, Leo Litwak, is accompanied by a lot of supporting characters. These characters include family members, fellow soldiers, and civilians. There isn’t a main antagonist since the book is about being on the front lines in a terrible war.
The conflict in the book is man vs. himself because Leo struggles with many ambitions.
These ambitions include trying to save the lives of dying men, his love life, his family, his religion, and what to do after the war.
The quote “What I vouch for in this dramatized version of my service is the transforming intensity of war - the shelling, the entrenching, the wounded and dying, the Sauer crossing, marching fire, the sex, the loot, the Paris leave, Marishka, the encounter with the Russians, the war’s end.” (Litwak 5) I choose this quote because it was Litwak’s summed up version of what the war meant to him. Also, this quote foreshadows what is to come in the pages ahead.
I would recommend this book for people who feel like reading a World War II book without action on every page. The Medic manages to combine the right amount of action with the right amount of inaction. However, the book does have some suggestive themes that may turn some readers away.

[Tom Darrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad autobiography of WWII. This has a different perspective than the others that I have read, being that the author was a medic who served in the final year of the war, once the US had already invaded at Normandy. It gives good general pictures of life in those odd closing stages of the war where the fighting was wrapping up and the allies and defeated Germans were learning how to live with each other and what new rules to follow.

The major drawbacks of this book are covered in the author's prologue... the book was written about 40 years after the war, so many of his memories are vague and mixed together. He has also changed people and place names for various reasons. Any reader who wanted to use this book as source material should be aware of that.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autobiography of a WWII medic, which shows the war from a young enlisted soldier's perspective. Not full of tactics, strategy or even many medical stories, but instead more focused on interpersonal relationships between the soldiers and the people they interacted with on their way to the end of the war. Less glamorous/romanticized portrayal of the "greatest generation".

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a medic must be a tremendously difficult job, especially in the middle of heavy fighting, seeing people they know and love and have spent some difficult days with be killed and injured. I thought this book was very moving. It had some humor in it, like most books where guys recount their war experiences with buddies. It also had some really heavy parts. I really enjoyed this.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay.... not one I would run out and read. The story mostly talks about his experiences with women he finds in Paris and in other cities during his time in WWII. Very little focus on the life of a medic during that time.