The D-Day Dozen: Conversations With Veterans of the Longest Day, the Huertgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge

by Aaron Elson

In 1987, Aaron Elson went to a reunion of the tank battalion with which his father served in World War II. He was so moved by the stories the veterans shared among themselves but often didn't tell their families that he returned with a tape recorder. The rest is history. Oral history.Inspired by Studs Terkel and Stephen Ambrose, Elson has recorded more than 600 hours of interviews with veterans of World War II. His work has been used as source material in more than two dozen books and a dozen documentaries, some of which have appeared on the History Channel.In this collection of a baker's dozen interviews you'll meet, among others, five combat engineers talking "Saving Private Ryan"; two veterans of the fabled 1st Infantry Division, including one who may have been the first member of the division to set foot on Omaha Beach; a dental surgeon in the 4th Infantry Division who landed on Utah Beach and was wounded at St. Lo; a battalion surgeon who ran the 10th Armored Division aid station during the siege of Bastogne; a Tin Can Sailor from the crew of the USS Butler; the Ranger who almost singlehandedly sabotaged four large coastal guns during the battle on Pointe du Hoc; a paratrooper who landed in the water and joined the Rangers in the battle for the Pointe; two members of the 294th Combat Engineer Battalion who were aboard the troop ship Susan B. Anthony, which was sunk in the English Channel; and an 82nd Airborne Division sergeant who went into Normandy on a glider that crashed.

440 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 3, 2012

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the passion these men have in telling their story

[Catherine King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent interviews

Wonderful to hear stories told by these veterans in their own words. I have read 50-100 first person histories and books full of interviews from WWI and II, and this book makes the top ten. Occasionally can be a bit rambling, but is a very good read overall.

[Colin Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is what it is, transcripts of conversations with men who were there, simply fascinating, if you have an interest in world war 2 then it is a must read.