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I Marched with Patton: A Firsthand Account of World War II Alongside One of the U.S. Army's Greatest Generals
"Poignant . . . Well worth the read." —Wall Street Journal
In December 1944, Frank Sisson deployed to Europe as part of General George S. Patton’s famed Third Army. Over the next six months, as the war in Europe raged, Sisson would participate in many of World War II’s most consequential events, from the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of Dachau. Now 95 years old, Frank shares his remarkable story of life under General Patton for the first time.
Frank Sisson grew up in rural Oklahoma during the Great Depression. His father died when Frank was young, and so in 1944, at age eighteen, Frank, like so many other young men across America, enlisted in the Army and was deployed to France. At a traffic intersection one day, Frank caught his first glimpse of the man who would control the next six months of Frank’s deployment, and whose lessons, and spirit, would shape the rest of Frank’s life. General Patton could be erratic and short-tempered—but he was also a brilliant military tactician and cared deeply for the men who served under him, a credo that gave Frank and his fellow soldiers solace as they faced death every day. In this gritty, intimate account, Frank reveals what life on the ground was really like in the closing days of World War II.
After the war, Frank continued to serve in the army as a military police inspector in Berlin. When he finally returned home, he attended college and built a career in business. Like many members of the Greatest Generation, he was often reluctant to share his stories of the war, in all their glory, and terror. He was content to live and work in the nation he had fought to protect, an embodiment of the American Dream.
Patton, on the other hand, would not live to see the postwar world he helped create. In December 1945, less than a year after the conclusion of the war, he tragically died following a car accident. Now, seventy-five years later, Frank Sisson’s remarkable reminiscences provide a fresh, unique look at Patton’s leadership, the final days of World War II and its direct aftermath, and the experience of combat on the front lines.
In December 1944, Frank Sisson deployed to Europe as part of General George S. Patton’s famed Third Army. Over the next six months, as the war in Europe raged, Sisson would participate in many of World War II’s most consequential events, from the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of Dachau. Now 95 years old, Frank shares his remarkable story of life under General Patton for the first time.
Frank Sisson grew up in rural Oklahoma during the Great Depression. His father died when Frank was young, and so in 1944, at age eighteen, Frank, like so many other young men across America, enlisted in the Army and was deployed to France. At a traffic intersection one day, Frank caught his first glimpse of the man who would control the next six months of Frank’s deployment, and whose lessons, and spirit, would shape the rest of Frank’s life. General Patton could be erratic and short-tempered—but he was also a brilliant military tactician and cared deeply for the men who served under him, a credo that gave Frank and his fellow soldiers solace as they faced death every day. In this gritty, intimate account, Frank reveals what life on the ground was really like in the closing days of World War II.
After the war, Frank continued to serve in the army as a military police inspector in Berlin. When he finally returned home, he attended college and built a career in business. Like many members of the Greatest Generation, he was often reluctant to share his stories of the war, in all their glory, and terror. He was content to live and work in the nation he had fought to protect, an embodiment of the American Dream.
Patton, on the other hand, would not live to see the postwar world he helped create. In December 1945, less than a year after the conclusion of the war, he tragically died following a car accident. Now, seventy-five years later, Frank Sisson’s remarkable reminiscences provide a fresh, unique look at Patton’s leadership, the final days of World War II and its direct aftermath, and the experience of combat on the front lines.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
123 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Robert L. Wise
61 books14 followersRobert L. Wise, Ph.D. is the author or coauthor of twenty-four books. He is a bishop in the communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches and has planted churches around the world. Dr. Wise and his wife, Margueritte, live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 17, 2020
My wife got me this book because she knows I enjoy the history of WWII plus my father was a paratrooper in WWII. Here you have a man from that generation giving us his story about what his life was like in rural Oklahoma during the depression and then the reasons for his enlisting into the Army.
Each person’s story was different man or woman for joining, enlisting and his were probably like many others at that time. When he arrives D-Day was happening and you follow along when he steps onto France and a Sargent yells for him to fix the traffic jam with all of the vehicles ahead. Achieving that goal his next would be going ahead of the unit with wire for communication, sometimes going behind enemy lines for that would be the high ground. They would also sight in the changes with artillery when needed.
You see the banter between the other men he was with but also when it was time to do the job it would get done. Sadly he would not keep in touch with these men. My father had kept in touch with his buddies from the 82nd and Korea.
I also liked the part where he talks about his time staying over in Germany after the surrender. My father did the same thing and this gave me a new look into things that were going on at that time. The entire book was a good read and kept me going to where I sat down and read it in one evening, I was surprised at how focused I was to his story. An excellent book and I am grateful he took the time to write it, so many of this generation did not and we lost not only stories but the people that lived them. Very much worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com Follow us as www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Each person’s story was different man or woman for joining, enlisting and his were probably like many others at that time. When he arrives D-Day was happening and you follow along when he steps onto France and a Sargent yells for him to fix the traffic jam with all of the vehicles ahead. Achieving that goal his next would be going ahead of the unit with wire for communication, sometimes going behind enemy lines for that would be the high ground. They would also sight in the changes with artillery when needed.
You see the banter between the other men he was with but also when it was time to do the job it would get done. Sadly he would not keep in touch with these men. My father had kept in touch with his buddies from the 82nd and Korea.
I also liked the part where he talks about his time staying over in Germany after the surrender. My father did the same thing and this gave me a new look into things that were going on at that time. The entire book was a good read and kept me going to where I sat down and read it in one evening, I was surprised at how focused I was to his story. An excellent book and I am grateful he took the time to write it, so many of this generation did not and we lost not only stories but the people that lived them. Very much worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com Follow us as www.1rad-readerreviews.com
December 17, 2020
I read this this book by Frank Sisson because I figured I would get more information on George S. Patton. I thought maybe Sisson was a right-hand man, perhaps a aide to General George S. Patton Jr. Technically Frank Sisson was part of the 667 Field Artillery Battalion 10th Armored Division attached to the 3rd Army during the Battle of the Bulge. If your read anything on the 3rd Army over 42 different divisions and a couple of hundred thousand men marched under the generals command in Europe. Sisson acknowledges he only saw Patton twice, both times zipping by in a passing jeep. What you get is a account of his division while attached to Patton's Third Army for 6 months. Mr. Sisson recalls Patton's strategy and boldness in saving the allies during the Battle of the Bulge, but you won't find anything you didn't already know from reading a Patton biography or watching the 1970 film. In his defense, Sisson did his duty, served his country honorably and deserves that recognition. What survives is a convincing story of an innocent young man who experienced a vicious war and than spent a year of adventures in post war Berlin. Some accounts get told and retold on this subject and there are fewer slivers of details or new research on Patton that have not been told already. This inability to find fresh angles makes new works on old sagas an effort in redundancy. Bottom line is that there are dozens of great soldier memoirs out there but this one disappointed me.
January 25, 2021
This book was exactly what i wanted: no complexity, no political perspective, no historic context of big decisions and complex operations. Simply and directly a personal testimony of someone that was there, that lived it and thought about things that were happening and being done. I simple truth story about a good man involved in a terrible war.
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January 10, 2021A solid memoir is WW2. Quick read, good stories laid out as if listening to your favorite uncle after a summer bbq. Which is good as I bought it for my dad for Christmas
February 26, 2021
Here is another read that not only informed me about WWII fought in Europe, but gave me a very personal account of the author’s experience. The author gave not only an account on the struggles on the ground during the conflict but on his relationships with the soldiers he fought with, and with family and friends. There were three things most interesting to me. First was that Frank Sisson carried a copy of Psalm 91 in his pocket through the duration of his military service and pulled it out in the most difficult encounters. He expressed how passages from the psalm enabled him to press on. When in France in 1945 and the war in Europe was essentially over Frank Sisson reflected this:
“I reached in my chest pocket, and that piece of paper was still there. Psalm 91 had carried me through the worst of times. The verse that I has seldom referenced when I read these lines during the fighting had become strangely appropriate: ‘I will see how the wicked are punished.’ Now fulfilled today! The first verse had promised, ‘Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me.’ So it had been.”
Secondly, Sisson expressed how he and the men he fought with admired General George Patton. Here is a testimony in response to news of the general’s death:
“General Patton’s death really cut. I found myself walking around virtually talking to myself. Other soldiers appeared to be in the same fog. I admired his skills and loved him as a person. Having lost my own father, I had come to see Patton as a sort of father figure. I just couldn’t get away from thinking about it. He had been an invisible force that guided me through the days of danger and struggle. General Patton had embodied what our ideals of Americanism were.”
Thirdly, there was something I was aware of about the ruthlessness of the conquering Russians, but Sisson showed how the Russian soldiers persecuted the very people that they freed with clear detail. I will not describe the atrocities here because they are so brutal.
And there were other revelations discovered: the liberation of Dachau, Sisson’s personal relationships with men and women in quiet times revealing his character, his commitment to the “girl he left behind” and her response upon his return, and much more…
The author’s thoughts on war were summarized upon his return:
“Something happens to you when you fight a war and are gone for a couple of years. You forget those values that everybody had when you lived in small-town America. People tried to kill you, and you tried to kill them. You ate dirt when bombs went off, and you tried not to cry when your friends got killed. Stuffing the grotesque down as far as you could didn’t stop the horrors from coming up again. After a while, you felt like you were twenty going on fifty. It was strange: part of you felt like an ancient warrior, and part of you wanted to cry like a baby because of the gruesome images that lingered in your mind.”
Finally, I found this read was good for a history and wartime geography learning opportunity. I am certainly not young but figure when you stop learning you are gone. So, I opened other books as I read Frank Sisson’s account—a WWII history book, a biography of Patton, and a book of maps to mention a few. You get the idea; oh, so much to read and so little time. All enjoyable to me…and so it goes…
“I reached in my chest pocket, and that piece of paper was still there. Psalm 91 had carried me through the worst of times. The verse that I has seldom referenced when I read these lines during the fighting had become strangely appropriate: ‘I will see how the wicked are punished.’ Now fulfilled today! The first verse had promised, ‘Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me.’ So it had been.”
Secondly, Sisson expressed how he and the men he fought with admired General George Patton. Here is a testimony in response to news of the general’s death:
“General Patton’s death really cut. I found myself walking around virtually talking to myself. Other soldiers appeared to be in the same fog. I admired his skills and loved him as a person. Having lost my own father, I had come to see Patton as a sort of father figure. I just couldn’t get away from thinking about it. He had been an invisible force that guided me through the days of danger and struggle. General Patton had embodied what our ideals of Americanism were.”
Thirdly, there was something I was aware of about the ruthlessness of the conquering Russians, but Sisson showed how the Russian soldiers persecuted the very people that they freed with clear detail. I will not describe the atrocities here because they are so brutal.
And there were other revelations discovered: the liberation of Dachau, Sisson’s personal relationships with men and women in quiet times revealing his character, his commitment to the “girl he left behind” and her response upon his return, and much more…
The author’s thoughts on war were summarized upon his return:
“Something happens to you when you fight a war and are gone for a couple of years. You forget those values that everybody had when you lived in small-town America. People tried to kill you, and you tried to kill them. You ate dirt when bombs went off, and you tried not to cry when your friends got killed. Stuffing the grotesque down as far as you could didn’t stop the horrors from coming up again. After a while, you felt like you were twenty going on fifty. It was strange: part of you felt like an ancient warrior, and part of you wanted to cry like a baby because of the gruesome images that lingered in your mind.”
Finally, I found this read was good for a history and wartime geography learning opportunity. I am certainly not young but figure when you stop learning you are gone. So, I opened other books as I read Frank Sisson’s account—a WWII history book, a biography of Patton, and a book of maps to mention a few. You get the idea; oh, so much to read and so little time. All enjoyable to me…and so it goes…
July 27, 2021
Interesting account of a young Oklahoman soldier assigned to Patton’s Third Army.
Psalm 91 gave him the strength and peace to get through the horrors of war. “Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me. I will see how the wicked are punished, but I will not share it. For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me.”
Psalm 91 gave him the strength and peace to get through the horrors of war. “Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me. I will see how the wicked are punished, but I will not share it. For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me.”
September 8, 2021
This book offers a unique prospective of WWII from an American soldier who served in Europe. The things he did and saw were things many other soldiers did and saw and he gives voice to all of them while giving the distinctive insights and tidbits that are uniquely his. We owe a lot to all who have served and I am grateful to have read his account.
April 23, 2021
I came across this book while perusing for another title at the bookstore, and decided to give it a read. I enjoyed reading this work, it is not the best memoir I have read on World War II, then again not the worst either. Some of Sission’s recollections in his dealings with officers are a little far fetched, however, they could have occurred the way he remembers. Recommended by anyone interested in World War II...SLT
June 26, 2021
Though this book was a bit dry at the beginning, I came to love the evolving story of this WWII soldier’s account of his time at war. It isn’t edgy or graphic, but maintains a sort of innocence and wide-eyed wonder about his service in Europe. I recommend this for teens who have only the barest bones of knowledge about this time in history because after this book they might want to learn more.
February 16, 2021
This was a good story that Mr. Sisson related to the readers. First hand account of what it was like to be assigned a unit working closely with George Patton's Third Army unit. His account of the horror's of war (the weather, the dead soldiers, the concentration camps and the war's aftermath on the citizens of Germany and the dreaded Russians) made this a page turning story for any reader picking up this book.
May 29, 2022
I Blame The Ghost Writer. I gave up on this book because the timeline made no sense nor some of the stories in it. As one reviewer mentioned, this book is like listening to your grandfather telling war stories. Fair enough. I can forgive grandpa for getting dates and events out of order some 50-60 years but the ghost writer, Robert Wise, is supposed to straighten things out when they are put down in writing and published as a memoir. As an example, early in the book we have Frank Wise landing in Normandy and bivouacking in St Lo on Christmas Day 1944. A few chapters later he’s been participating in Patton’s relief of Bastogne. The only problem is that Third army relieved Bastogne on December 26, 1944. So, which is it? Is he in St Lo or the outskirts of Bastogne several hundred miles away? Also while at St Lo, he speaks of having to be careful about German snipers and artillery. By December, St. Lo was safely in the Allied rear. Could Frank be mistaken about when he got to Normandy? Robert Wise should have pressed him. Also, in some of Frank’s stories he has NCOs and junior officers relying information that they would have access to only after the event, if then. Again, fine when grandpa is telling his story not so much when it’s written down for posterity. It’s sad. This could have and should have been a much better book. As I said earlier, I blame the ghost writer.
December 22, 2020
I think he watched the movie too much and thought that was his reality.
August 24, 2023
"General Patton's death really cut. I found myself walking around virtually talking to myself. Other soldiers appeared to be in the same fog. I admired his skills and loved him as a person. Having lost my own father, I had come to see Patton as a sort of father figure. I just couldn't get away from thinking about it. He had been an invisible force that guided me through the days of danger and struggle. General Patton had embodied what our ideals of Americanism were." (Excerpt from I Marched With Patton, 257).
Corporal, later Sergeant, Frank L. Sisson was born in 1925, in Weleetka, Oklahoma. Growing up during the Great Depression, he reached 18 in 1943 and after hearing/reading about all the turmoil that was happening across Facist Europe, like most men of that time, he signed up to do his part in the war effort, by serving for his country overseas. Frank did his Basic Training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma before becoming an artillery specialist at Camp Bowie in Texas. In 1944, Christmas Day, he deployed to France with the 667th Field Arrtillery of the Third Army under General George S. Patton Jr. As a Sergeant, he participated in much of the most significant fighting of the later war, after the Normandy invasions of June 6, 1944; including the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of the Rhineland and the Battle of Central Europe. He was also part of the liberation at Dachau, just outside Munich; Hitler's first of his many Concentration Camps scattered across Nazi-Occupied Europe. After the war in Berlin was over, Sisson was assigned to be a Military Police (MP) investigator as part of the postwar effort to rebuild the city, and get the Allied Servicemen home.
Sisson's first-hand accounts of the end of the war, and postwar period give a unique perspective into understanding the tensions between the Soviet Army and United States Military Forces, that would lead to a Cold War, lasting until the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The pages move along easily (took me only a few days to read), and it is full of intrigue and suspense; the chapters are also nice and short, so it makes for many great stopping points.
All that said, it is a great memoir of an everyday soldier in the Second World War. The only reason I gave it a 4-star rating and not a full 5-stars, had nothing to do with the content or the writing style. I felt somewhat mislead by the title. I had believed upon purchasing the book, after reading the synopsis, that Sisson had more interaction with Patton on an everyday basis; like he was a military advisor, or something to that effect. In all reality he only "saw him up close" less than a handful of times, I think it was mentioned twice that he was near him. Upon reading the book though, I had come to find that the title had more significance for the author then what the general reader would suspect.
Sergeant Sisson's father died suddenly before Frank was even out of highschool, which meant for him as the oldest male in his large farming family, he went to work to help support his newly widowed mother, and the siblings still living at home. This goes without saying, but it had a hugely profound effect on the young man. The author viewed Patton as a charismatic leader, someone who can stir the feelings up inside a young soldier, thus enabling him to face the horrors and trials of war. Having lost his father at such a young age, Patton became a second father to Sisson; so describing his own personal experiences in the war, being apart of Patton's Army, he shows that their stories intertwine, even if they never met face-to-face or via a handshake, or in this case a salute. No matter the risks he faced, this soldier, as well as many in his company, would do without question, whatever Patton asked of them.
I really hope you take the time to read this book! There are quite a few surprises in his story, and he keeps you at the edge of your seat until the very end (with a huge surprise waiting!). I highly recommend it! Especially if you are a lover of Military History, or the Second World War like I am.
We are losing men and women of the Greatest Generation everyday at an alarming rate, and stories like these are what keep their memories alive. Having said that, I want to thank Sergeant Sisson for sharing his story, as well as the men who served with him, including all the men and women who served during the Second World War, for making us free to have the choices we have today.
Make sure you thank a veteran every chance you get, you never know how much longer they will be around.
Corporal, later Sergeant, Frank L. Sisson was born in 1925, in Weleetka, Oklahoma. Growing up during the Great Depression, he reached 18 in 1943 and after hearing/reading about all the turmoil that was happening across Facist Europe, like most men of that time, he signed up to do his part in the war effort, by serving for his country overseas. Frank did his Basic Training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma before becoming an artillery specialist at Camp Bowie in Texas. In 1944, Christmas Day, he deployed to France with the 667th Field Arrtillery of the Third Army under General George S. Patton Jr. As a Sergeant, he participated in much of the most significant fighting of the later war, after the Normandy invasions of June 6, 1944; including the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of the Rhineland and the Battle of Central Europe. He was also part of the liberation at Dachau, just outside Munich; Hitler's first of his many Concentration Camps scattered across Nazi-Occupied Europe. After the war in Berlin was over, Sisson was assigned to be a Military Police (MP) investigator as part of the postwar effort to rebuild the city, and get the Allied Servicemen home.
Sisson's first-hand accounts of the end of the war, and postwar period give a unique perspective into understanding the tensions between the Soviet Army and United States Military Forces, that would lead to a Cold War, lasting until the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The pages move along easily (took me only a few days to read), and it is full of intrigue and suspense; the chapters are also nice and short, so it makes for many great stopping points.
All that said, it is a great memoir of an everyday soldier in the Second World War. The only reason I gave it a 4-star rating and not a full 5-stars, had nothing to do with the content or the writing style. I felt somewhat mislead by the title. I had believed upon purchasing the book, after reading the synopsis, that Sisson had more interaction with Patton on an everyday basis; like he was a military advisor, or something to that effect. In all reality he only "saw him up close" less than a handful of times, I think it was mentioned twice that he was near him. Upon reading the book though, I had come to find that the title had more significance for the author then what the general reader would suspect.
Sergeant Sisson's father died suddenly before Frank was even out of highschool, which meant for him as the oldest male in his large farming family, he went to work to help support his newly widowed mother, and the siblings still living at home. This goes without saying, but it had a hugely profound effect on the young man. The author viewed Patton as a charismatic leader, someone who can stir the feelings up inside a young soldier, thus enabling him to face the horrors and trials of war. Having lost his father at such a young age, Patton became a second father to Sisson; so describing his own personal experiences in the war, being apart of Patton's Army, he shows that their stories intertwine, even if they never met face-to-face or via a handshake, or in this case a salute. No matter the risks he faced, this soldier, as well as many in his company, would do without question, whatever Patton asked of them.
I really hope you take the time to read this book! There are quite a few surprises in his story, and he keeps you at the edge of your seat until the very end (with a huge surprise waiting!). I highly recommend it! Especially if you are a lover of Military History, or the Second World War like I am.
We are losing men and women of the Greatest Generation everyday at an alarming rate, and stories like these are what keep their memories alive. Having said that, I want to thank Sergeant Sisson for sharing his story, as well as the men who served with him, including all the men and women who served during the Second World War, for making us free to have the choices we have today.
Make sure you thank a veteran every chance you get, you never know how much longer they will be around.
December 1, 2023
(This review is for a school assignment, spoilers ahead as I have to summarize the book)
Summary: Frank Sisson dropped out of school young to support his family after his father died, eventually being deployed to France to fight in the second World War along with many other young American men in 1944. Eventually being promoted to sergeant, he lives through the war leading comrades and reading letters from home, and spends a few years after the war working in the military police in the south side of Berlin. Later, he leaves Berlin to return to his home in Oklahoma to find it not quite as he left it, but still his home nonetheless. He, like many of the members of Patton's third army, felt the hit from the general's death soon after the war, and he talks about the suspected conspiracy around his death that he and many soldiers felt. After he got married and his kids grew up, one of them found out that their family came from the same land that Sergeant Sisson had liberated back during the war, and that they were ethnically Jewish, bringing him closer to his memories of the war.
I give this book four stars, as I honestly loved this book as I love war story type readings, and I loved the way the storytelling made it feel like I was listening to my dad about his deployment in Iraq or Baghdad. While it was a great book and the stories were great, I felt as if there could have been more detailing in the stories themselves, to lengthen the book and make the stories more engaging for the audience, though I also understand how it would be hard for a war veteran to recount something as traumatizing as war, especially if it happened 75 years ago.
War will always have good stories, especially if you define 'good' as 'interesting' rather than 'positive'. This one is packed with dangerous situations and the feelings among Sisson and his men as they happened. Close encounters, gruesome scenes they had to drive past, your brain moving quickly between dehumanizing the enemy and humanizing the enemy side's civilians. And the occasional story where Sisson buys a butt load of hamburgers and feeds them to starving German children.
My favorite quote from the book was from page 136, "I was glad to have survived, ... I had realized we were out here killing one another, and the people on the other side were just as human as we were." No matter what situation you're in, anyone else involved is human too, even in war. Germans fighting in the war weren't always members of the Nazi party. Many were just young men like the American soldiers drafted and sent off to do Hitler's dirty work for him. War is a fight between world leaders, done by the people, and felt by the civilians.
Summary: Frank Sisson dropped out of school young to support his family after his father died, eventually being deployed to France to fight in the second World War along with many other young American men in 1944. Eventually being promoted to sergeant, he lives through the war leading comrades and reading letters from home, and spends a few years after the war working in the military police in the south side of Berlin. Later, he leaves Berlin to return to his home in Oklahoma to find it not quite as he left it, but still his home nonetheless. He, like many of the members of Patton's third army, felt the hit from the general's death soon after the war, and he talks about the suspected conspiracy around his death that he and many soldiers felt. After he got married and his kids grew up, one of them found out that their family came from the same land that Sergeant Sisson had liberated back during the war, and that they were ethnically Jewish, bringing him closer to his memories of the war.
I give this book four stars, as I honestly loved this book as I love war story type readings, and I loved the way the storytelling made it feel like I was listening to my dad about his deployment in Iraq or Baghdad. While it was a great book and the stories were great, I felt as if there could have been more detailing in the stories themselves, to lengthen the book and make the stories more engaging for the audience, though I also understand how it would be hard for a war veteran to recount something as traumatizing as war, especially if it happened 75 years ago.
War will always have good stories, especially if you define 'good' as 'interesting' rather than 'positive'. This one is packed with dangerous situations and the feelings among Sisson and his men as they happened. Close encounters, gruesome scenes they had to drive past, your brain moving quickly between dehumanizing the enemy and humanizing the enemy side's civilians. And the occasional story where Sisson buys a butt load of hamburgers and feeds them to starving German children.
My favorite quote from the book was from page 136, "I was glad to have survived, ... I had realized we were out here killing one another, and the people on the other side were just as human as we were." No matter what situation you're in, anyone else involved is human too, even in war. Germans fighting in the war weren't always members of the Nazi party. Many were just young men like the American soldiers drafted and sent off to do Hitler's dirty work for him. War is a fight between world leaders, done by the people, and felt by the civilians.
December 3, 2022
I listened to this book on mp3 in my car.
This is one of the better WWII memoirs I have read. The author is personable and honest in his recounting.
Sisson was in the Battle of the Bulge, the march through Germany, the liberation of Dachau, and then became a military policeman in the American sector of Berlin. He does not shy away from describing the gruesome scenes of death he encountered. Like many GI's, when he returned, he was not anxious to talk about the war.
He does a good job discussing how George Patton was viewed by his men. He does not shy away from the controversies surrounding Patton. He discusses the slapping episodes and Patton's dislike of Russia.
Sisson initially only hears from other GI's about the Russian atrocities, in particular raping women, as they make their way across Germany. When he serves in Berlin, he is shot at by the Russians at one point.
He discusses his camaraderie with the members of his unit, which strung wire for communications on the battlefield. He progresses to Sergeant. These recollections ring true and so become a mirror to a different time in American life.
He encounters a Jewish soldier, which is the first time he has met anyone of this faith. He is shocked to hear about the Nazi abuses of Jews. But then he sees Dachau. Later in the book there is a surprise revelation after his daughter researches their genealogy.
His close ties to a German woman while serving in Berlin made me sad that this did not come to a romantic climax. But I credit Sisson for acting honorably throughout his time in Berlin.
There also are good segments about his life prior to the war in Oklahoma. When his Dad dies of appendicitis, he is forced to go to Oakland to become a welder to support his family.
I am glad that these memories have been preserved for history. It is always helpful to have first-hand accounts of war experiences by the men who fought so bravely for the U.S. to rid the world of the Nazis, a truly terrible human aberration.
This is one of the better WWII memoirs I have read. The author is personable and honest in his recounting.
Sisson was in the Battle of the Bulge, the march through Germany, the liberation of Dachau, and then became a military policeman in the American sector of Berlin. He does not shy away from describing the gruesome scenes of death he encountered. Like many GI's, when he returned, he was not anxious to talk about the war.
He does a good job discussing how George Patton was viewed by his men. He does not shy away from the controversies surrounding Patton. He discusses the slapping episodes and Patton's dislike of Russia.
Sisson initially only hears from other GI's about the Russian atrocities, in particular raping women, as they make their way across Germany. When he serves in Berlin, he is shot at by the Russians at one point.
He discusses his camaraderie with the members of his unit, which strung wire for communications on the battlefield. He progresses to Sergeant. These recollections ring true and so become a mirror to a different time in American life.
He encounters a Jewish soldier, which is the first time he has met anyone of this faith. He is shocked to hear about the Nazi abuses of Jews. But then he sees Dachau. Later in the book there is a surprise revelation after his daughter researches their genealogy.
His close ties to a German woman while serving in Berlin made me sad that this did not come to a romantic climax. But I credit Sisson for acting honorably throughout his time in Berlin.
There also are good segments about his life prior to the war in Oklahoma. When his Dad dies of appendicitis, he is forced to go to Oakland to become a welder to support his family.
I am glad that these memories have been preserved for history. It is always helpful to have first-hand accounts of war experiences by the men who fought so bravely for the U.S. to rid the world of the Nazis, a truly terrible human aberration.
August 13, 2022
Obvious Forgery Written by a Fake
The author seems to have heard a few things about Patton's army in World War II and then made up a pretty weak biographical account to add himself into the mix.
Either the veteran is a fraud, or somebody used his photograph and name for this novel of make-believe.
The first chapter is gibberish. He claims to have only arrived in Europe in December 1944, but keeps talking about St. Lo, a city in western France that was only relevant in June and July. He's sort of talking about what he did, sort of talking about what the Third Army did before he showed up, or something. Very fuzzy.
By the time he arrived on the Continent, the front was way over to the East, on the German border. He says he "landed in St. Lo", even though he took a ship and St. Lo is 30 miles? inland.
The worst offense is his commanding officer supposedly telling him, in December 1944, to watch out for German artillery fire on the beach, in Northern France. There were no Germans within hundreds of miles by that time.
If he "landed in St. Lo", or, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, a port or beach north of St. Lo, that puts him far to the West in France when he hit the beach. The Germans were several hundred miles East at that point. They had no artillery capable of reaching western French beaches.
The rest of the book feels really fake, once you start noticing the glaring errors like this. Didn't buy the Oklahoma farm boy/Jewish city guy telling him about pogroms exchange, and etc etc.
Skip this book, and anything written by Robert Wise or people calling themselves Frank Sisson.
The author seems to have heard a few things about Patton's army in World War II and then made up a pretty weak biographical account to add himself into the mix.
Either the veteran is a fraud, or somebody used his photograph and name for this novel of make-believe.
The first chapter is gibberish. He claims to have only arrived in Europe in December 1944, but keeps talking about St. Lo, a city in western France that was only relevant in June and July. He's sort of talking about what he did, sort of talking about what the Third Army did before he showed up, or something. Very fuzzy.
By the time he arrived on the Continent, the front was way over to the East, on the German border. He says he "landed in St. Lo", even though he took a ship and St. Lo is 30 miles? inland.
The worst offense is his commanding officer supposedly telling him, in December 1944, to watch out for German artillery fire on the beach, in Northern France. There were no Germans within hundreds of miles by that time.
If he "landed in St. Lo", or, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, a port or beach north of St. Lo, that puts him far to the West in France when he hit the beach. The Germans were several hundred miles East at that point. They had no artillery capable of reaching western French beaches.
The rest of the book feels really fake, once you start noticing the glaring errors like this. Didn't buy the Oklahoma farm boy/Jewish city guy telling him about pogroms exchange, and etc etc.
Skip this book, and anything written by Robert Wise or people calling themselves Frank Sisson.
March 7, 2024
I have to note that Frank Sisson was 90+ years old when this was published. So I cut him some age related slack. But Robert Wise (allegedly the actual professional author) has written "more than thirty books, including five covering the World War II period". Wise was either asleep at the wheel or he employed a mediocre ghost writer under his name.
The book has several inaccuracies beginning with the fact that the book has has virtually nothing to do with Gen Patton. I presume the title was an attempt at 'click-bait' to sell the book. This book reads like a collection of snippets based on the probable failing memory of a 90+ year old man's memories from 70 years in his past.
On more than one occasion it was mentioned that the actual temperature in France was MINUS 70 degrees! Not hardly. It may have been damn cold, but the temps hovered around zero at best. As a military vet, I can tell you that NCOs (Sgts) are not saluted (excluding MoH awardees). Yet, Sisson salutes NCOs on numerous occasions. Most Sgts would typically chew a saluting soldier out and add some snide remark like ~I'm not an officer, I work for a living~. Robert Wise should have known that as he has allegedly written several WW2 books.
Again , no disrespect to Frank Sisson. If you want to read some WW2 short stories about a soldier's experiences in WW2 Europe, then this will suffice.
The book has several inaccuracies beginning with the fact that the book has has virtually nothing to do with Gen Patton. I presume the title was an attempt at 'click-bait' to sell the book. This book reads like a collection of snippets based on the probable failing memory of a 90+ year old man's memories from 70 years in his past.
On more than one occasion it was mentioned that the actual temperature in France was MINUS 70 degrees! Not hardly. It may have been damn cold, but the temps hovered around zero at best. As a military vet, I can tell you that NCOs (Sgts) are not saluted (excluding MoH awardees). Yet, Sisson salutes NCOs on numerous occasions. Most Sgts would typically chew a saluting soldier out and add some snide remark like ~I'm not an officer, I work for a living~. Robert Wise should have known that as he has allegedly written several WW2 books.
Again , no disrespect to Frank Sisson. If you want to read some WW2 short stories about a soldier's experiences in WW2 Europe, then this will suffice.
January 20, 2023
This is an interesting and quick read but it is important to know that the title is misleading. Frank Sisson served in Patton's Third Army as an artillery specialist and had a few brief run-ins with Patton, however, the title makes it seem like he had a closer relationship with him. If you are reading this book hoping for a detailed account of Patton then this is not for you. Likewise, if you want an easy-reading war tale of someone who fought in Europe during WWII then it is a very good read. There are times when Sisson tries a little too hard to make connections to Patton but other than that it is a good firsthand account of someone fighting in the war. I feel the best part of this book was his description of his time in Berlin after the occupation of Germany. He added a lot of great detail about what it was like serving as an MP in Berlin while dealing with the Russians, a war-torn city, and a local population who had suffered death and destruction during the war.
Overall, it is a very quick read that offers an interesting account of a soldier's experience fighting through Europe and his time serving as an MP in occupied Berlin. There are occasional periods where it feels fluffed up (like the talk about Patton) but it is still an enjoyable read. Thank you to Sergeant Sisson for his service!
Overall, it is a very quick read that offers an interesting account of a soldier's experience fighting through Europe and his time serving as an MP in occupied Berlin. There are occasional periods where it feels fluffed up (like the talk about Patton) but it is still an enjoyable read. Thank you to Sergeant Sisson for his service!
November 19, 2025
This ebook was a super engaging memoir by Frank Sisson, as told in his 90s to the author, Robert L. Wise. The book drew me because my dad was in Patton’s Third Army, and he died unexpectedly before he could share his memories. Now, books are my main source of Dad’s experience.
Sisson didn’t join Patton’s Army until December 1944 due to his younger age. But he suffered terribly in the record-breaking cold during The Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, just as my dad must have. He eventually arrived in Munich. I have a photo of my dad in Munich in 1945, standing with a boy in lederhosen, a traditional outfit that I also saw in Munich in 1983.
After Munich, Sisson detoured from my dad’s experience when he was assigned a policing job in Berlin. This was a fascinating chapter, as the Russian sector was merely one open street away from the American sector. This open boundary led to plenty of conflict between Russians and Americans, a history I’d never read before, and a preview of the Cold War to come.
I’d give this story 4.5 stars because it wasn't high literature, but it was plenty entertaining, so 5 stars. The long-ago memories of Sisson’s conversations were obviously reconstructed, but that’s to be forgiven, as the dialogue was believable and necessary for a good read.
Highly recommended!
Sisson didn’t join Patton’s Army until December 1944 due to his younger age. But he suffered terribly in the record-breaking cold during The Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, just as my dad must have. He eventually arrived in Munich. I have a photo of my dad in Munich in 1945, standing with a boy in lederhosen, a traditional outfit that I also saw in Munich in 1983.
After Munich, Sisson detoured from my dad’s experience when he was assigned a policing job in Berlin. This was a fascinating chapter, as the Russian sector was merely one open street away from the American sector. This open boundary led to plenty of conflict between Russians and Americans, a history I’d never read before, and a preview of the Cold War to come.
I’d give this story 4.5 stars because it wasn't high literature, but it was plenty entertaining, so 5 stars. The long-ago memories of Sisson’s conversations were obviously reconstructed, but that’s to be forgiven, as the dialogue was believable and necessary for a good read.
Highly recommended!
September 14, 2021
I found this book to be rather pedestrian. The title implies that this soldier has great insight into General Patton because he was in the Third Army. In fact he was a Sergeant in the 667th Field Artillery Battalion (155 Howitzer) and his unit was attached to the Third and First Army. The book is full of compliments of General Patton and certainly applauds the success of the General but there is no real insight to be gained here. Sergeant Sisson led a six man crew laying wire for the Battalion. We learn really nothing about the 667th FA but the story has a summary of the Bulge and other operations. There are lots of tangents that really don't seem connected to the purpose of the book but some may find them interesting. I also find it difficult to believe that the officers and Sergeants that Sgt Sisson speaks to about the situation during the Bulge were anyway knowledgeable although they gave detailed updates of what was occurring. I have never read where Lieutenants and Sergeants were so read into the operation that they could explain the purpose of the German attack and who was leading which units. Most were too busy fighting for their lives. I thank Sergeant Sisson for his service but neither he nor Mr. Wise (his co-author) added much to the literature of WWII.
February 3, 2023
Wow! What a great account by Author Frank Sisson's time associated with the 3rd Armor under the command of General Patton. It provides background first but most of the book details Frank's arrival in Saint Lo' France to post WWII in Berlin. He talks about battles along the way. Including the Battle of the Bulge and the freezing temperatures that occurred. The movement by Patton's command moving to provide relief to the encircled group at Bastogne. Multiple encounters along the way. Specifically, his groups task was running communications along the between the HQ's and artillery batteries. The reader learns that along the way, his little command of six men had no losses throughout the entirety of the war. Something that seems unheard of. He gives a very intense description of arriving at Dachau and feeding the individuals they liberated. He touches on several of the things that Patton got in trouble for along the way and finally Patton's death after the war. He closes the book with return home to find life as he left had changed. Raised a Christian in the Epilogue his daughter in doing a genealogy research on his family discovers that family had a Jewish background from near Dachau. This he said touched him as someone he liberated could have been family.
October 12, 2023
First off, the book title is very misleading. The author indicated that he fought alongside General Patton. He did not. In fact he only actually saw the general on two occasions. And both those times were as Patton was passing by. He fought in Pattons army and the title should reflect that.
Additionally, Frank Sisson was younger and didn’t join Pattons Third Army until after Christmas of 1944. Patton lead American forces in North Africa, Sicily, and for six months in France prior to the author arrival. That is not to diminish his experience or his service in World War II and for approximately one year after.
His experience was valid. And interesting. As were his various relationships during his service in the US Army. He offers insight into what it was like to run wire for an artillery unit during the war. And as a military policeman in Berlin after the war ended. Finally his take on receiving mail from home as well as his return home were also very interesting. I would definitely recommend reading this book but just caution anyone that might be expecting insights into someone fighting alongside General Patton.
Additionally, Frank Sisson was younger and didn’t join Pattons Third Army until after Christmas of 1944. Patton lead American forces in North Africa, Sicily, and for six months in France prior to the author arrival. That is not to diminish his experience or his service in World War II and for approximately one year after.
His experience was valid. And interesting. As were his various relationships during his service in the US Army. He offers insight into what it was like to run wire for an artillery unit during the war. And as a military policeman in Berlin after the war ended. Finally his take on receiving mail from home as well as his return home were also very interesting. I would definitely recommend reading this book but just caution anyone that might be expecting insights into someone fighting alongside General Patton.
August 8, 2024
I liked this book very much.
This is not some bombastic war story filled with explosions and the height of action like a war movie, though it has those things too.
This is a story about Frank, his life, his friends, his war. It includes the humdrum of being a soldiers the "hurry up and wait" of a soldiers life. It includes the emotional burden and the forced maturity of a person who went from a boy of 16 to a man f 21 in the great war. It includes the after war too.
So many stories about wars end when the war does but the aftermath is just as important, especially if you're trying to put the whole thing into perspective, to understand what a catastrophe it is.
This book's greatest strength is its plain conversational language. In most books you can "hear" the cadence of the author whether they want you too or not but ion this book its not just the arranging of words but the prose itself. It is easy reading and a feeling that you really are getting the story from Frank directly.
And you absolutely MUST read the Epilogue. I know a lot of people skip such things or just skim them but you really must.
Highly recommend.
This is not some bombastic war story filled with explosions and the height of action like a war movie, though it has those things too.
This is a story about Frank, his life, his friends, his war. It includes the humdrum of being a soldiers the "hurry up and wait" of a soldiers life. It includes the emotional burden and the forced maturity of a person who went from a boy of 16 to a man f 21 in the great war. It includes the after war too.
So many stories about wars end when the war does but the aftermath is just as important, especially if you're trying to put the whole thing into perspective, to understand what a catastrophe it is.
This book's greatest strength is its plain conversational language. In most books you can "hear" the cadence of the author whether they want you too or not but ion this book its not just the arranging of words but the prose itself. It is easy reading and a feeling that you really are getting the story from Frank directly.
And you absolutely MUST read the Epilogue. I know a lot of people skip such things or just skim them but you really must.
Highly recommend.
February 24, 2021
Entertaining and emotional first hand account of someone's experience in WW2 without focusing so much on all the large strategy, the big political leaders, and all the big name events. The story feels very personal.
The problem is that the book is written as though it is supposed to feel like you are sitting next to your grandfather who is telling you some stories, but it fails on so many occasions. There are repeated instances where there is too much focus on giving the number designation of the Infantry Division or Artillery Division or whatever. Also, the dialogue is done in a way that makes it obvious that it's fake dialogue meant to inform the reader. But it's obviously made up dialogue because nobody, even back then, talks or talked like that. It's distracting from an otherwise very interesting account of a low level soldier's experiences. The dialogue that feels like a real conversation and the articulation of emotions during everything is what made the book interesting.
The problem is that the book is written as though it is supposed to feel like you are sitting next to your grandfather who is telling you some stories, but it fails on so many occasions. There are repeated instances where there is too much focus on giving the number designation of the Infantry Division or Artillery Division or whatever. Also, the dialogue is done in a way that makes it obvious that it's fake dialogue meant to inform the reader. But it's obviously made up dialogue because nobody, even back then, talks or talked like that. It's distracting from an otherwise very interesting account of a low level soldier's experiences. The dialogue that feels like a real conversation and the articulation of emotions during everything is what made the book interesting.
March 6, 2021
I really liked this book. This is an honest narrative from an every day soldier traveling with the third army. I have not seen many personal narratives written by the average soldier in World War II. That’s what makes this book special.
It is not a history book that is written by a PhD. What makes this book enjoyable is that you get a sense of the every day man that Frank is.
Some people are going to be disappointed that the writing style is not highbrow, or the Frank fawns a little too much over general Patton. The book is entirely readable and thoroughly enjoyable.
Especially interesting is his post war duty as a military policeman in Berlin. He captures with humility, grace, and fine detail of his day-to-day work in a period of time where there is not much written about it.
Who else thought Frank made a mistake by not marrying the lovely German woman that he was working with?
It is not a history book that is written by a PhD. What makes this book enjoyable is that you get a sense of the every day man that Frank is.
Some people are going to be disappointed that the writing style is not highbrow, or the Frank fawns a little too much over general Patton. The book is entirely readable and thoroughly enjoyable.
Especially interesting is his post war duty as a military policeman in Berlin. He captures with humility, grace, and fine detail of his day-to-day work in a period of time where there is not much written about it.
Who else thought Frank made a mistake by not marrying the lovely German woman that he was working with?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2025
If you’re going to read this book, don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the minutiae. Understanding that this book was written from the memories told by a 94 year old man, there are bound to be some inaccuracies. For example, the story often contradicts actual battle lines at different points during the war, contains an incorrect caption on a rather famous photo of GEN Patton from 1917 (the caption states it’s a photo of him at VMI in 1907 - he left VMI for West Point in 1904), and it portrays inaccurate customs and courtesies for the US Army at the time (i.e. junior soldiers saluting non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and calling them “sir”). It is also important to understand that the book is not directly about Patton, but it’s about a soldier with deep admiration for Patton serving in his Third Army.
The sooner you focus on the jovial narrative of Frank’s storytelling, and less on the specific details about the war itself, the more you will enjoy this book.
The sooner you focus on the jovial narrative of Frank’s storytelling, and less on the specific details about the war itself, the more you will enjoy this book.
June 28, 2022
I enjoyed this book immensely. I have read over 55 books on World War II. Each book has given me more perspective and the reality of war. This book gave me a very personal view of one American soldier though others were involved. It was a first person account of a teenager who became a man serving in the ETO.
He held nothing back in his recollection of his childhood, serving in the war, and returning home. All the time showing his faith in Psalms 91 and keeping his promises even when it was difficult.
He was not a perfect man but none of us are perfect. He as many of the soldiers in the Third Army had a deep respect for General Patton though fully understanding the General had rough edges. Sgt. Frank Sisson was able to come home knowing he had done his best for his country while in the Army.
He held nothing back in his recollection of his childhood, serving in the war, and returning home. All the time showing his faith in Psalms 91 and keeping his promises even when it was difficult.
He was not a perfect man but none of us are perfect. He as many of the soldiers in the Third Army had a deep respect for General Patton though fully understanding the General had rough edges. Sgt. Frank Sisson was able to come home knowing he had done his best for his country while in the Army.
January 20, 2023
I think this book is a good example of why 94 year olds should not record war memoirs with a ghost writer. While I can't say anything negative about Frank Sisson's truth, I did find the timelines problematic and there is a lot of filler by characters who show up to provide background information, or commentary about things that they could not have know at the time.
I am not so bold as to say that the author is a faker, as some others have done, but the opening section where he is directing traffic is too similar to the famous scene in the movie Patton. Maybe it happened, maybe he just thinks it happened. I don't know.
Anyway, it was a quick and easy read, but you are not going to find anything in the book you don't already know if you know much about Patton or the final months of WW II.
I am not so bold as to say that the author is a faker, as some others have done, but the opening section where he is directing traffic is too similar to the famous scene in the movie Patton. Maybe it happened, maybe he just thinks it happened. I don't know.
Anyway, it was a quick and easy read, but you are not going to find anything in the book you don't already know if you know much about Patton or the final months of WW II.
August 4, 2025
I normally read WWII books related to the holocaust, specifically from the point of view of former prisoners. I decided to read this novel with the intent of getting some insight into my grandfathers experience as medic in Patton’s Third Army. Unfortunately, he never discussed his experiences with me or others. I recently discovered that his military records burned in the 70s so I truly will never know of his experiences. Sergeant Sissen’s novel is an excellent, first hand account of what it was like to fight in Patton’s army. This gave me a brief insight into what life may have been like for men like Frank and my grandfather. It has inspired me to find other books that would help me learn more.
October 27, 2020
I bought this book because my father fought under Patton and I thought it might resonate. It was co-written by Frank Sisson who was 94 at the time and I have to admire anyone who wants to do anything at 94. This book is strangely detached when you consider the author liberated two death camps, fought in the battle of the Bulge and witnessed death on a massive scale. In many ways it reminded me of my father and his generation. They never spoke of the war and seemed detached as well. Unfortunately, I have to say you will get similar insight by watching George C. Scott's performance in the 1970 movie Patton (co-written by Francis Ford Coppola)
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