Born at Reveille: The Memoirs of an American Soldier

by Russell Potter Reeder

Russell Potter Reeder, Jr., was, in fact, born at reveille, just as the saluting gun boomed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, March 4, 1902. An Army father, an Army family, and Army life as an Army brat were his from the start. His memories are vivid—including the wonderful characters of the peacetime Army, his preference for sports over textbooks, his struggles at West Point, his war service, and the start of a new career. As he recalls his role in the preparations for the Normandy invasion, the pattern of Colonel Reeder's life and its unconscious direction toward the crisis of battle become clear. It was in the Normandy action that an enemy shell closed his command career. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and also holds the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Croix de Guerre with Palm, French Legion d'Honneur, and other citations. In recent years, as Assistant Director of Athletics at West Point, and as the author of more than fifteen books for young people, he has continued to instill the ideals and principles of leadership that he learned so well himself in his many years as an Army man.

Hardcover

First published July 6, 2011

Reviews

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by the regiment historian at the Army JAG School. He said it was one of his favorite autobiographies of all time. I read it over Thanksgiving break, and could not put it down. The author is a boy who was raised in the "Old Army," when active duty soldiers had served in Cuba and the Philippines, and retired soldiers fought in the Civil War. He shares stories of his upbringing, his successes and failures at West Point, which was run by then Brig Gen Douglas MacArthur, and a soft-voiced Captain named Omar Bradley taught him math. It follows him through his career in the Army, and a break where he tries his hand at professional baseball before having to decide on a career playing ball or going back to the Army. It is remarkable the number of now famous Americans he served with in the Army, the effect he had on the Army, and his involvement in the invasion of Normandy. There are enough life lessons that can be drawn from the pages of this book, that it will be worth reading again. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in leadership, a unique view on history, or just a great less known autobiography.