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The Men of Company K
When they shipped out in World War 11, they were from all over the country; two hundred men and officers of K Company, 333rd Infantry, 84th Division. This is their autobiography.
The veterans of Company K know they didn’t win the war singlehandedly. They were just one of twenty-seven similar rifle companies in the 84th Division, and one of the twelve hundred such companies that were the cutting edge of the American army in Europe. But the story of Company K is the story of all the combat infantrymen of World War II.
Here is Company K’s account of more than one hundred days of combat, from the Siegfried Line through the Battle of the Bulge to meeting up with the Russians on the Elbe River. Thirty-six men of the company were killed in action. And nearly two hundred replacements came into the company-most were evacuated with wounds or illness.
This is a book about ordinary men as told by ordinary men, the Willies and Joes of real life: what it was like for men on the line-men coming to terms with themselves and their buddies in trying circumstances.
It is a vibrant, moving account of what these same men have experienced during the last forty years of peace. Out of the diverse group, six men won PhD.’s; one became the title character for a Gertrude Stein novel, Brewsie and Willie; one became one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of prosthetic devices; and others are corporation presidents, truck drivers, ministers, postmasters, farmers, pecan growers, government officials, and lawyers. One still works from 3 A.M. to noon every day in the freezing room of a produce plant when he should be drawing 75 percent disability pay because of his wounds.
Lastly, it is the story of life on the home front: the wives, girlfriends, and families who waited for their men to return, and when they returned, resumed the fabric of their lives.
The Men of Company K is a vivid portrait of the men and women who are the heart of America.
The veterans of Company K know they didn’t win the war singlehandedly. They were just one of twenty-seven similar rifle companies in the 84th Division, and one of the twelve hundred such companies that were the cutting edge of the American army in Europe. But the story of Company K is the story of all the combat infantrymen of World War II.
Here is Company K’s account of more than one hundred days of combat, from the Siegfried Line through the Battle of the Bulge to meeting up with the Russians on the Elbe River. Thirty-six men of the company were killed in action. And nearly two hundred replacements came into the company-most were evacuated with wounds or illness.
This is a book about ordinary men as told by ordinary men, the Willies and Joes of real life: what it was like for men on the line-men coming to terms with themselves and their buddies in trying circumstances.
It is a vibrant, moving account of what these same men have experienced during the last forty years of peace. Out of the diverse group, six men won PhD.’s; one became the title character for a Gertrude Stein novel, Brewsie and Willie; one became one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of prosthetic devices; and others are corporation presidents, truck drivers, ministers, postmasters, farmers, pecan growers, government officials, and lawyers. One still works from 3 A.M. to noon every day in the freezing room of a produce plant when he should be drawing 75 percent disability pay because of his wounds.
Lastly, it is the story of life on the home front: the wives, girlfriends, and families who waited for their men to return, and when they returned, resumed the fabric of their lives.
The Men of Company K is a vivid portrait of the men and women who are the heart of America.
318 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1985
5 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 28, 2015
Very well-put together account of one rifle company's experiences in WWII Europe. These words are reflections of men who served while very young - 18 to 20 years mostly - who had to and did mature very rapidly in the circumstances of war. I had to laugh sometimes, at the ineptitude of the rear echelon, officers who weren't on the front lines and their unrealistic expectations of the exhausted men. They couldn't even warm up at times because their coffee was frozen.
One of the mens' reflections had to do with a French naval officer he'd met: "He was the only survivor and pretty much of a wreck - he knows the only solution is practically annihilation of the Krauts. They've degenerated into a state lower than animals . . . I never knew what hat was till I saw what remains of those poor devils."
Quote from a letter by Franklin Brewer which was published in the Philadelphia Bulletin: " . . it will take everything the world has, and then some, to set us to rights again. And we must use intelligence, not emotion. Pity is as destructive as hatred, and far more insidious, and if we aren't careful it will sink us after the war is over . . . One sees the Hitler Jugend who have no conception of any other standard than force and war . ..I am convinced, of course, that education is the only hope; but it is a very long-term project, and meanwhile we must be firm with present generations, for I think there is no hope of doing anything with the Germans, en masse, above probably ten years of age."
I am reminded here of the current-day situation in the Middle East, and agree wholeheartedly that education of the children is the key to peace there, if only it weren't too late. And I have to add, in light of the latest furor over the Charleston, SC shooting and the heated debate over the Confederate flag, our own nation needs to raise the education of our youth.
One of the mens' reflections had to do with a French naval officer he'd met: "He was the only survivor and pretty much of a wreck - he knows the only solution is practically annihilation of the Krauts. They've degenerated into a state lower than animals . . . I never knew what hat was till I saw what remains of those poor devils."
Quote from a letter by Franklin Brewer which was published in the Philadelphia Bulletin: " . . it will take everything the world has, and then some, to set us to rights again. And we must use intelligence, not emotion. Pity is as destructive as hatred, and far more insidious, and if we aren't careful it will sink us after the war is over . . . One sees the Hitler Jugend who have no conception of any other standard than force and war . ..I am convinced, of course, that education is the only hope; but it is a very long-term project, and meanwhile we must be firm with present generations, for I think there is no hope of doing anything with the Germans, en masse, above probably ten years of age."
I am reminded here of the current-day situation in the Middle East, and agree wholeheartedly that education of the children is the key to peace there, if only it weren't too late. And I have to add, in light of the latest furor over the Charleston, SC shooting and the heated debate over the Confederate flag, our own nation needs to raise the education of our youth.
June 6, 2022
The men of Company K, was extremely interesting. I found it slow to start but soon found myself engrossed.
The authors quite honestly admit to having a narrow view of the war, seen from Company K’s point of view, but none the less they provide a company POV which details their experience. They arrived after D-Day and were on the continent through the end of the war.
Part of the 9th army they were to the left of the Allied line of U.S. forces. The company goes from their early days, when they are bloodied and become veterans of war. The description of their time from The Bulge to the end of the war provides a perspective of the war that often goes unheralded. So often we discuss Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and Montgomery but here we find a personal and uncomfortable “Face of Battle.”
Hardly an encompassing or strategic view of the war but nonetheless a Important and personal view.
I wholeheartedly endorse the reading of a personal small unit contribution of the war.
The authors quite honestly admit to having a narrow view of the war, seen from Company K’s point of view, but none the less they provide a company POV which details their experience. They arrived after D-Day and were on the continent through the end of the war.
Part of the 9th army they were to the left of the Allied line of U.S. forces. The company goes from their early days, when they are bloodied and become veterans of war. The description of their time from The Bulge to the end of the war provides a perspective of the war that often goes unheralded. So often we discuss Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and Montgomery but here we find a personal and uncomfortable “Face of Battle.”
Hardly an encompassing or strategic view of the war but nonetheless a Important and personal view.
I wholeheartedly endorse the reading of a personal small unit contribution of the war.
August 16, 2010
This book is a history of a WWII rifle company written by members of the company. This book predates many of the more recent WWII books such as the ones Stephen E. Ambrose wrote (citizen soldier, band of brothers, etc.)
This accounting is less sanitized and more forward having been written by those who were in the s**t. Reading helped better understand what the soldiers faced and how they thought about what they did when they did it and what they felt afterwards.
If you liked Citizen Soldier and are interested in more first hand accounts and gritty detail this book could be for you.
This accounting is less sanitized and more forward having been written by those who were in the s**t. Reading helped better understand what the soldiers faced and how they thought about what they did when they did it and what they felt afterwards.
If you liked Citizen Soldier and are interested in more first hand accounts and gritty detail this book could be for you.
October 11, 2023
This book is about an Infantry Company's experience in combat in World War II. It is written by two members of K Company, one who served as the Company Commander and the other who served as a Platoon Leader. As the sub-title of the book reads this is, "The Autobiography of a World War II Rifle Company." K Company, 333rd Infantry, 84th Infantry Division's story is told from its landing on Omaha Beach on November2, 1944 through its demobilization at Camp Kilmer in January 1946. An Infantry Company's strength at the time was 193 officers and enlisted men. It had a company headquarters, three rifle platoons and a weapons platoon. The authors report that there were four hundred men who served in K Company in Europe. This number is result of combat casualties, non-combat casualties, promotions, transfers and post combat rotation of combat veterans home with replacements for occupation duty. It is a remarkable number. Thirty -six members of K Company were killed in Action. The book is in memory of them and they are named on a dedication page. I won't dwell on the fighting. The book is filled with descriptions from the memories of the participants. What is unique about this book is that it contains many pictures of the members of the company both from WWII and after. The Company had a camaraderie that continued beyond the fighting. The reader can identify the soldiers mentioned and those who told their stories of the fighting. It also has an Update section which gives a short description of the post war lives of many of the four hundred members of the company. There is a chapter about the Home Front where the lives of wives, sisters, parents and others back in America are detailed. In a chapter titled, Getting the Word, how family members were notified of soldiers wounded or killed in action. Soldiers wounded were anxious to send notice home as fast as possible to belay family fears and anxiety back home. The final chapter, Home Again, talks about the trials and tribulations of adjusting to civilian life that company members experienced. The Update follows this chapter.
This is one of the most interesting books about WWII I have read. It truly describes what combat is like for the rifleman in an infantry company. I recommend it to all interested in World War II.
This is one of the most interesting books about WWII I have read. It truly describes what combat is like for the rifleman in an infantry company. I recommend it to all interested in World War II.
October 5, 2012
Actually 3.5 stars. World War II story that follows the men of Company K Rifle Company. I always wonder how people at war manage to cope with their situation. During winter it was so cold that their weapons froze, yet they were ordered into battle. After someone demonstrated that the weapons were frozen, the order was postponed. Inadequate clothing, trench foot, exhaustion, eating K & C rations for weeks on end. Officers rarely came near the front lines. One that did complained that the men looked dirty and unshaven (duh!). He suggested shaving with warm coffee as any water to be found was too cold. A soldier picked up the coffee container and shook it to demonstrate that even the coffee was frozen. One soldier walking along a road alone at night in pitch blackness came up on a convoy and threw his rifle to a person in the rear of the truck and then jumped on board. He then realized they were speaking German! He immediately jumped off the truck and someone threw his rifle out to him. He never new if they were German soldiers in a German convoy or German POWs in an American convoy.
July 26, 2016
Great book about the common men who fought during the Second World War. They came together and stayed together long after the last shot was fired.
August 25, 2025
The book describes the experiences of an American infantry company during the last 6-7 months of WWII. Company K, 3rd Battalion, 333th Regiment of the 84th Infantry Division landed in Normandy in November 1944 and got involved in several battles along the Dutch-German border and in the Ardennes. Next they moved up again to enter Germany and be part of the final push to end the Third Reich.
The battles in which the company took part are described in quite some detail and show the reader what it was like to be in a foxhole, in the dark, during rain and snow, being hungry and cold, not knowing what was on the next hill or sometimes just on the other side of the road. A lot of names are mentioned in its pages, men that were part of the company, and events are sometimes described as seen from different points of view. This can be confusing at times, but the feeling of 'being there' does make this an okay thing. Combat can be confusing and, as the book shows, blue-on-blue firefights did take place.
Praise is given, as it should be, to the medics that risked their lives, more than once, to help their comrades. We also get to read what it was like to get hit and next be moved to the rear, out of harms way (but not always) and be worked on by the medical staff. We alsio get to read how the home front, so wives and family, experienced this all.
One detail that surprised me, and one that you hardly ever come across in books, is the mention of finding Stg 44 Krummlauf assault rifles while going over a load of abandoned weapons in a German town. This is something I have not come across before in a book of this type.
So, a good read if you are interested in small unit combat.
The battles in which the company took part are described in quite some detail and show the reader what it was like to be in a foxhole, in the dark, during rain and snow, being hungry and cold, not knowing what was on the next hill or sometimes just on the other side of the road. A lot of names are mentioned in its pages, men that were part of the company, and events are sometimes described as seen from different points of view. This can be confusing at times, but the feeling of 'being there' does make this an okay thing. Combat can be confusing and, as the book shows, blue-on-blue firefights did take place.
Praise is given, as it should be, to the medics that risked their lives, more than once, to help their comrades. We also get to read what it was like to get hit and next be moved to the rear, out of harms way (but not always) and be worked on by the medical staff. We alsio get to read how the home front, so wives and family, experienced this all.
One detail that surprised me, and one that you hardly ever come across in books, is the mention of finding Stg 44 Krummlauf assault rifles while going over a load of abandoned weapons in a German town. This is something I have not come across before in a book of this type.
So, a good read if you are interested in small unit combat.
October 15, 2025
What a book. It's smart and unpolished, and that's the point.
Some disjointed thoughts:
I was hit by the realization that this book is about 40 years old, and at the time of writing, it had been about 40 years since Company K's heaviest action. Jim Sterner, one of the last, if not the last member of Company K still alive as of 2024 passed away in February of that year. A family friend who was a bomber pilot passed away some years ago. My friend's death hit closer to home, but I felt an echo of that emotion again this evening. Leinbaugh and Campbell did their job well.
I read a bit of a review written near the time of publication in which the critic stated it was difficult to get through this book. I understand now what he meant.
At the end of the book is an updates section. After reading what these guys experienced, I read each name and whenever I saw one who'd settled near my hometown or my current city or anywhere else I regularly travel, I looked him up. After a further 40 years I hardly expected many to be alive, but I just wanted to know if they'd been alright. Lots of graves, and there were some remarkable stories too. I got invested reading about their lives after the war - snapshots really, but still something.
I just want people who read this review to know I thought the book was tough reading, it made me feel for the guys, and I do recommend it.
We owe them a lot, even if they wouldn't say so themselves.
Thanks for your time.
Some disjointed thoughts:
I was hit by the realization that this book is about 40 years old, and at the time of writing, it had been about 40 years since Company K's heaviest action. Jim Sterner, one of the last, if not the last member of Company K still alive as of 2024 passed away in February of that year. A family friend who was a bomber pilot passed away some years ago. My friend's death hit closer to home, but I felt an echo of that emotion again this evening. Leinbaugh and Campbell did their job well.
I read a bit of a review written near the time of publication in which the critic stated it was difficult to get through this book. I understand now what he meant.
At the end of the book is an updates section. After reading what these guys experienced, I read each name and whenever I saw one who'd settled near my hometown or my current city or anywhere else I regularly travel, I looked him up. After a further 40 years I hardly expected many to be alive, but I just wanted to know if they'd been alright. Lots of graves, and there were some remarkable stories too. I got invested reading about their lives after the war - snapshots really, but still something.
I just want people who read this review to know I thought the book was tough reading, it made me feel for the guys, and I do recommend it.
We owe them a lot, even if they wouldn't say so themselves.
Thanks for your time.
August 7, 2020
This is a great account of WWII soldiers in the European Theater of Operations. There's a lot of good, personable detail throughout the book.
I would recommend this book for folks interested in WWII, especially the American role in the fighting. Since it's written by veterans who served, there are a lot of unique details you wouldn't get from an overview of the time. I would recommend this for students of the war at any level as it is written with an accessible tone.
I would recommend this book for folks interested in WWII, especially the American role in the fighting. Since it's written by veterans who served, there are a lot of unique details you wouldn't get from an overview of the time. I would recommend this for students of the war at any level as it is written with an accessible tone.
March 29, 2022
War is intensely personal and sometimes when reading about the history of war we focus on the tactics or strategy and forget about the sacrifices that the common soldier makes. This book does not let you forget and in doing so we learn what war is like for infantrymen on the European theatre in World War II.
November 23, 2025
I believe I first learned about this book through Stephen Ambrose's *Citizen Soldiers*. Regardless, I found this book to be quite entertaining and comprehensive. While it was a bit slow at certain points, it was still a wonderful read that effectively portrayed the events and actions of a rifle company during WWII. I am pleased to have read it, and it now holds a place in my WWII collection.
May 19, 2022
Unfortunately I could not finish this book as I just did not get into it. I made it about 60 pages and gave up. It is impeccably researched and brings a lot of information chronicling the unit's WWII experience. This is probably a better book for the veterans themselves and their family members.
May 27, 2022
Given that this is an amateur history and autobiography of a unit all in one, it’s hard to complain about the quality. The content is straightforward and from the heart. Graphics and more detailed footnotes would add to it but again, for what it is, nothing to complain of.
September 27, 2020
One rifle company's story.
November 16, 2007
Liked it primarily because I lived near Geilenkirchen and was able to walk the battlefields.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews