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Unless Victory Comes: Combat With a World War II Machine Gunner in Patton's Third Army
A vivid, boots-on-the-ground memoir of World War II by an infantryman in General Patton’s army, from the Battle of the Bulge to Germany’s defeat
On December 19, 1944, Gene Garrison turned nineteen. He spent his birthday in a muddy foxhole, listening to the cries of wounded comrades while exploding artillery shells sent shrapnel raining down on him and the enemy prepared to attack. It was his first day in combat.
Unless Victory Comes recounts Garrison's journey as he was transformed from a fresh-faced kid from the farmlands of Ohio into a hardened soldier fighting for survival. From his baptism under fire, to the bitter fighting in the frozen Ardennes forest during Hitler’s last desperate push, to the end of the war on the Czechoslovakian border, Gene Garrison witnessed the war from the ground up. This is the story of one young man, far from home, surrounded by strangers, facing death yet never losing hope that he would live to see his family again.
On December 19, 1944, Gene Garrison turned nineteen. He spent his birthday in a muddy foxhole, listening to the cries of wounded comrades while exploding artillery shells sent shrapnel raining down on him and the enemy prepared to attack. It was his first day in combat.
Unless Victory Comes recounts Garrison's journey as he was transformed from a fresh-faced kid from the farmlands of Ohio into a hardened soldier fighting for survival. From his baptism under fire, to the bitter fighting in the frozen Ardennes forest during Hitler’s last desperate push, to the end of the war on the Czechoslovakian border, Gene Garrison witnessed the war from the ground up. This is the story of one young man, far from home, surrounded by strangers, facing death yet never losing hope that he would live to see his family again.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 9, 2020
It was ok. I have better and I have read worse
May 26, 2020
Unless Victory Comes is a dissatisfying read. Written in a dispassionate and impersonal tone, it not only fails to engage the reader, but fails to reveal anything about author Gene Garrison's personal war experience or that of his comrades-in-arms. There is no insight into his/their thoughts and feelings. It is more like a checklist than a narrative---this happened, then this happened, then this happened. Unless Victory Comes doesn't enlighten, doesn't captivate, doesn't excite, charm, or delight, doesn't trouble or horrify. It's a whole lot of blah.
There are lots of stellar memoirs of war worth your time. This is not one of them.
There are lots of stellar memoirs of war worth your time. This is not one of them.
August 24, 2018
You are there
A memoir of the last 6 months of WW II written from the perspective of a fighting infantry soldier. One actually feels like one is in the midst of the squad. No hyperbole or bravado; rather a tale well told. A great read for those interested in the reality of an ordinary soldier on the front lines.
A memoir of the last 6 months of WW II written from the perspective of a fighting infantry soldier. One actually feels like one is in the midst of the squad. No hyperbole or bravado; rather a tale well told. A great read for those interested in the reality of an ordinary soldier on the front lines.
January 9, 2020
Overall a good read.
The author gives us a more in depth insight to the daily discomforts and fears of a GI during the Battle of the Bulge into the final days of the US involvement in the European Theater of World War II.
The author gives us a more in depth insight to the daily discomforts and fears of a GI during the Battle of the Bulge into the final days of the US involvement in the European Theater of World War II.
July 5, 2011
This is a fairly easy read. This book is a first hand account of an American soldier serving in Europe at the end of World War II. It was written fairly recently so the author is trying to reconstruct the events that occurred through his own memory and discussions with other former soldiers with whom he served. This kind of reduces the impact of the events that occurred and left me wanting to understand the magnitude of the various events described. But, overall it did provide insight into the miserable experiences of soldiers and the hardships they endured.
July 22, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised at the writing in this book. I have experienced war autobiographies that tend to drag in points, but Mr. Garrison does an amazing job with his writing style and ability to engage and retain the reader's attention. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the European theater during WWII.
August 27, 2012
I enjoyed reading this book. It gave me insight on what it was like to be a machine gunner in world war II. I found it hard to stop reading the book because I wanted to know what was going to come next. If I were to recommend it to someone I would!
October 1, 2008
Did not go into as much detail regarding The Bulge as I would have liked.
May 14, 2009
An average, first person account of WWII.
January 28, 2015
Good account of the daily life of a WWII GI. A bit disjointed in the narrative, but Ok overall.
Want to read
February 19, 2008Thanks www.armchairgeneral.com
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews