A Patriot's Memoirs of World War II: Through My Eyes, Heart, and Soul

by Luciano Louis Charles Graziano

It was January 1943 when twenty-year-old Louis Graziano received a letter from Uncle Sam ordering him to report to Fort Niagara, New York, for a physical. Although he knew the United States was at war, he had no idea what was ahead of him. After making a promise to dutifully defend his country, Louis never realized how much his military experience would change the course of his life. In a memoir that reveals the good, bad, and ugly of war and beyond, Louis leads others through his life experiences via personal stories and historical photographs that provide a candid glimpse into what it was like to be a young soldier before, during, and after World War II. While revealing his experiences and thoughts, Louis demonstrates how he exhibited courage amid heartbreaking loss, trusted God to protect him, and found love with a beautiful fellow soldier. Among his documented experiences were landing with the third wave on D-Day on Omaha Beach, fighting the Battle of the Bulge, and witnessing the signing of the Instrument of Surrender at the Little Red Schoolhouse. Included are personal letters and commendations as well as interesting historical facts. A Patriot's Memoirs of World War II shares a veteran's personal story and photographs that document his experiences during the biggest and deadliest war in history.

Genres: History

142 pages, Hardcover

Published December 23, 2018

Reviews

[Cole Nooooo]

First hand accounts are always interesting but Graziano clearly wasn't a writer; the book is poorly written.

The book was also was poorly fact checked, making some pretty obvious and critical errors: claiming Paris was liberated in Aug 1945 (after the end of the war) and that "SS" German troops meant they were suicide troops. I've read memoirs of soldiers who had deep knowledge of their wars that went beyond just their experience but the author clearly did not.

The author at many points fondly recalls times he "beat the hell out of" other GIs, tormented German POWs, and on many occasions commited property damage or straight up robbed French civilians (at one point, at gunpoint.) There is no self-analysis in any of these dealings even though the book was written nearly 7 decades after they occurred. But perhaps that does make this book valuable... As an argument that you should never give early 20 somethings positions of power.

[Saphira Adams]

A clear, heartfelt account of World War II told through personal memories, letters, and photographs. Honest, moving, and deeply human, this memoir brings history to life through one soldier’s lived experience.