THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion

This book is open for a group/buddy read and comment/discussion starting on 20th November 2012.


by Patrick K. O'Donnell
It is said that the right man in the right place at the right time can make the difference between victory and defeat. This is the dramatic story of sixty-eight soldiers in the US Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion, Company D - "Dog Company”— who made that difference, time and again.

From D-Day, when German guns atop Pointe du Hoc threatened the Allied landings and the men of Dog Company scaled the sheer ninety-foot cliffs to destroy them; to the slopes of Hill 400, in Germany’s Hürtgen Forest, where the Rangers launched a desperate bayonet charge across an open field; to a "quiet” section of the Ardennes, where Dog Company suddenly found itself on the tip of the spear at the Battle of the Bulge; the men of Dog Company made the difference.

America had many heroes in World War II, however, few can say that, but for them, the course of the war would have been very different. The right men, the right place, at the right time—Dog Company.

For those interested and who want to read a few first-hand accounts and look at a few original photographs before we start reading Dog Company check out the link below:

http://www.thedropzone.org/index_back...

For those people who are going to read or have read Dog Company here are a few links with reviews, stories and details about the author:

NPR:

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/11/12...

The book came out last week all book reviews have all been outstanding:

http://blogs.roanoke.com/backcover/20...

http://www.thedesertinde.com/Regular-...

Websites:

http://www.patrickkodonnell.com/

http://www.dogcompanybook.com/

Author has been been involved in 15 documentaries and was in Marine a rifle platoon in the 2004 Battle of Fallujah.

(http://www.wewereone.com/) and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdOK7e...

http://www.nationalreview.com/article...

Some recent reviews of Dog Company just to wet your apetite:


"Long admired for his powerful combat narratives, with Dog Company O’Donnell has produced his finest book yet. A fascinating tale of extraordinary heroism." - Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Liberator

"An intimate history in the Band of Brothers tradition. Only a gifted combat historian like Patrick O'Donnell could bring Dog Company’s story to life with such stunning immediacy and well researched accuracy. Chock full of pulse pounding action and keen insight, this book is a true page-turner." - John C. McManus, author of September Hope

"No World War II historian can tell the story of the U.S. Army Rangers better than Pat O’Donnell, and in his book Dog Company he has managed to relate the remarkable history of a single Ranger company in an informative and entertaining way. It is a great read, and I recommend it highly, both to history buffs and those with only a passing interest in America’s past." - Joseph Balkoski, author of Omaha Beach

"Wow! Another victory for Patrick O’Donnell, who really captures the spirit of this elite group of Rangers&mdashpossibly the toughest fighting force America has ever put together. Dog Company is every bit as good as Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers, and likely even better.” - Flint Whitlock, author of If Chaos Reigns

"This is an incredible story of courage under fire, leadership at all levels and bravery beyond comprehension. The bravery and leadership of Dog Company lives on in today’s Army Rangers as they take the fight to America’s enemies in the Global War on Terror. This is the story of real American heroes and no one can tell the story better than Patrick K. O’Donnell." - General Doug Brown USA (Ret.) Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command 2003-2007

"Patrick O’Donnell has set the gold standard for war histories rich in color, drama and detail. With Dog Company, he’s hit that high mark once more. Drawing on a trove of government reports plus hundreds of in-depth interviews with the men who fought, O’Donnell takes you from the scaling of Pointe du Hoc’s murderous cliffs on the Normandy coast to the Battle of the Bulge and into the rubble of Germany. World War II comes to life through the eyes of this one company of intrepid U.S. Army Rangers." - Douglas Waller, author of Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage

"Remarkable and very readable...vivid." - Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer prize winning author of Day of Battle

“[An] inspiring story…O'Donnell engagingly describes how a dedicated team was built out of the specialist training it received, but he is at his best presenting the fortunes and shocks of battle as the months of planning and training were blown away in a series of mischances that also fortuitously safeguarded the unit from delayed pre-invasion bombing runs…A worthy tribute honoring each member of a small group of volunteers who responded to the call of duty.” -
Kirkus Reviews

“The story of the heroism of the men defies the imagination, but it is real and told well by a distinguished military historian.” - Bookviews blog

“A fast-paced read that’ll redefine your understanding of the U.S. Army Rangers in Europe during Word War Two.” - Politics & Patriotism blog

I enjoyed this account from the book on page 51-52:


(view spoiler)[ Father Joe Lacy, the Rangers’ chaplain, visited all of the Ranger mother ships that night. The fearless, “fat little Irishman” would later receive a Distinguished Service Cross for his Bravery on Omaha Beach. That night, he provided spiritual comfort to the men. George Kerchner remembers Lacy saying, “When you land on the beach and get in there, I don’t want to see anybody kneeling down and praying. If I do, I’m gonna come up and boot you in the tail. You leave the praying to me, and you do the fighting.” (hide spoiler)]



Here is some more information on Father Joe Lacy:

http://the-american-catholic.com/2012...

Below is the citation for Father Lacy’s Distinguished Service Cross:

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Joseph R. Lacy (0-525094), First Lieutenant (Chaplain), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as a Chaplain with the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, in action against enemy forces on 6 June 1944, in France. In the invasion of France, Chaplain Lacy landed on the beach with one of the leading assault units. Numerous casualties had been inflicted by the heavy rifle, mortar, artillery and rocket fire of the enemy. With complete disregard for his own safety, he moved about the beach, continually exposed to enemy fire, and assisted wounded men from the water's edge to the comparative safety of a nearby sea wall, and at the same time inspired the men to similar disregard for the enemy fire. Chaplain Lacy's heroic and dauntless actions exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Headquarters, First U.S. Army, General Orders No. 28 (June 20, 1944)

I just started the book. It was interesting to know more about the history of the rangers. I had no idea they went back to King Philip's war!

Did anyone else smile when they read about Doc Block convincing his wife that the rangers had something to do with trees, and therefore would be a ton safer than an assignment with airborne troops?

That was funny A.L., smart thinking by Doc Block! I bet his wife wasn't too impressed when she found out the truth!

I was just thinking A.L. that if you were interested in going back to the origins of the Rangers this book may interest you:

by Stephen Brumwell

Thanks Rick! I'll have to add it to my huge to-read list!

Anyone else reading this book at the moment and want to post any comments?

I'm reading the kindle version of the book, so I hope the page numbers are correct.

I thought it interesting on page 64 how a little navigation error ended up saving the day.

And I was impressed with Lomell and Kuhn on page 87. (view spoiler)[ Just two men and a few grenades taking out five big guns. (hide spoiler)]

Hi A.L.

It is amazing how a small mistake in time and/or place can make such a big difference but I suppose history is full of those types of incidents that still amaze us today.

Yes, you have to wonder and scratch your head in regards to the German reaction or lack of action when those Rangers managed to destroy those German artillery pieces. Still a pretty amazing job on the Rangers part!

Yes, good job by the rangers, and yes, I wonder why the artillery wasn't being moved into firing position.

What did you think around page 155, when Edlin convinced Furst to surrender the Lochrist Battery? This is the first book I've read on the campaign to take Brest, so I hadn't heard that story before.

Hi A.L.

I am sure I have read short accounts about the taking of Lochrist Battery in some general accounts. I need to read a more detailed book on that specific area of WW2. Apparently the book; From Beachhead to Brittany covers this campaign in detail.

by Joseph Balkoski

Here is some more detail on Robert Edlin as well in case your interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_T...

I just read a bit of From Beachhead to Brittany online and decided to order a copy. - I will have to blame you A.L. for that :)

Hmm, not feeling too guilty about making your to-read list longer, since I’ve added several of your suggestions on the different threads to my to-read list :)

Thanks for posting the link on Edlin. Did you notice a discrepancy of a few inches in the location of Edlin’s grenade when you read the two accounts?

December 7, 1944 sounds like it was a rough day for L-rod Petty (OK, it was a rough day for everyone involved with Hill 400). Like this, from page 204 regarding the Anderson twins: (view spoiler)[ “I had the dubious distinction of having held both brothers while they were in the process of dying within an hour’s time.” (hide spoiler)]. Or this, on page 209: (view spoiler)[ Fearing he would not survive D-day, Colden confided in Petty on the eve of the invasion. Now, tragically, Colden was bleeding to death in Petty’s arms and would later succumb to his wounds in the pillbox. (hide spoiler)] And then this, also on page 209: (view spoiler)[ “We came upon a German only twenty feet away in a prone position and a rifle aimed dead center on me. I saw him too late. I fired, but a second too late. He must have flinched because the bullet passed through my right shoulder and into Shannon’s chest.” (hide spoiler)]

Maybe they had to be more family orientated on Wikipedia :)

The story about the Anderson twins was very moving I thought, glad you mentioned it A.L.

How are you enjoying the book so far then A.L. I take it you are finding it a good read?

Hi Rick, Yes, I'm glad I picked up the book. I'm learning something new and gaining even more admiration for the rangers.

Hi A.L.

I mentioned in the author Q&A with Pat about the footnote at the bottom of page 133 in regards to the ‘unwritten’ order that no WWII Ranger would receive the Medal of Honor. What did you think of that?

I came across this web page that may interest you, its the memoir of Lt. Leonard G. Lomell, D Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion, that was delivered as a speech and covers the destruction of the guns of Pointe du Hoc:


http://www.brookdalecc.edu/pages/1073...

Thank you for posting that link--great speech by Lt. Lomell. I enjoyed reading the account in his own words.

I caught that footnote about the "no Medals of Honor" for the Rangers. Seems like an insane order to me. What was Darby thinking?

What did you think about this? (view spoiler)[
As soon as the other Rangers made the turn, Rugg looked back and saw two German soldiers in uniform, one carrying a machine pistol. Dog's expert marksman dropped to his knee and took the hundred-yard shot. But that day, he was just carrying his carbine, which was only accurate to forty-five or fifty yards. The two rounds he fired "sailed slightly above their heads. When that happened, the taller one dropped his machine pistol and put his hands up."

Hearing the shots, the other men in the patrol came running back from around the corner.

"What's going on?"

"You see those two gusy over there--go get 'em," directed the sergeant.

The Rangers quickly returned with the "soldiers" in tow. "Hey Sarge, you're going to be surprised when you take a look at these two guys," one said.

Ruggiero's jaw dropped as he saw them close up. "Oh, my God!" he exclaimed. Quickly, he asked one of the German-speaking Rangers to ask the young men some questions. The translator queried, "How old are you?" The tall one responded, "Twelve." The shorter one responded, "Nine."

"What the hell are they doing?" stormed Ruggiero.

The boys responded through the interpreter, "This is what the Fuhrer asked us to do." (hide spoiler)]
Hitler did a lot of horrible things, but few of them anger me as much as how he treated Germany's children at the end of the war.

I know it surprised a lot of the allied soldiers about the age of some of their opponents, especially towards the end of the war. I have read one very good book on the subject and have one I still need to read that may interest you for further reading (although they make you angrier still).

by Nicholas Stargardt
yet to read

by Hans Holztrager
read

A little anger toward the Third Reich is probably a good thing, right?

I wonder where those boys' mothers were. I understand that there might not have been much they could do with their teenagers, but the nine year old? Had Fascist propaganda replaced all motherly instincts?

So true A.L.

I think I will have to read Witness of War soon as they may well answer your question :)

i thought this was a good novel on the subject:

the title is really 'The Erl King' by Michel Tournier.
they made a good movie out of it and called it
'The Ogre' so i think to market the novel more
they had that title on later publications.

originally : Les Roi des aulnes






A.L. wrote: "A little anger toward the Third Reich is probably a good thing, right?

I wonder where those boys' mothers were. I understand that there might not have been much they could do with their teenagers,..."

I may have to pick up one or more of those books--next time I feel like I need some extra anger in my life. Or when I'm curious to know more about what was going on and why. Wait, I'm always curious to know more about what was going on and why. . .

Very important I think A.L., as you mentioned to try and understand the why.....

I will try and read Witness of War soon as it has it has sparked my interest again.

by Nicholas Stargardt

I don't know if anybody is interested or not, but Mr. O'Donnell was on BookTV last night. Very interesting talk. There is also a little Q/A at the end. It is about 40 minutes.

http://booktv.org/Watch/14038/Dog+Com...

Great, thanks for the link Happy, much appreciated.

Thanks Happy, nice find!

Folks who have read, or are reading, or are interested in reading Patrick's book may find this latest review interesting:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article...#

Thank you Happy and Aussie Rick for the links.

On the national review article, I hope the 2nd Ranger Battalion is given the Presidential Unit Citation for the battle of Hill 400. Soon, while Ruggiero is still alive.

You can only hope A.L.

How are you going with the book by the way, still enjoying it?

Hi Rick,

Yes, I enjoyed Dog Company and I'm still enjoying The Liberator (starting chapter 23).

That's good news, two good books in a row!

I got this book as a christmas present from my grandfather Sheldon Bare, as many of you who have read it, saw his names several times. I have always loved and respected him, but after reading this book, i have a new found respect for him and all the men of dog company. We have talked a lot about his war time experiences and hearing it from him and then reading this book is something i will cherish for ever. Everyone should read this.

Mark Scalice
Altoona,PA

Hi Mark,

That must have been a great and moving experience to read this book and hear about your grandfather, all the men in the book deserved to be remembered and honoured by their country.

Mark, that is so neat! Your grandfather sounds like an amazing man. Next time you see him, please pass on my thanks for his service and his willingness to share his experience with Patrick O'Donnell to help make Dog Company such an inspiring book.

Finished Dog Company today - excellent book. The casuality rate was astounding. Some of the episodes were not very pretty

(view spoiler)[
the execution of prisoners for one and the descriptions of the dead esp when the went into Hurtgen
(hide spoiler)]

I'll post a more complete review later

Glad to hear you found the book a great read, will look forward to your review later :)

my thoughts on the book for those interested

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Good review Happy!