Preface

The adventures of a soldier in the states during wartime are a far cry from his life overseas. Much has been written about the soldiers' experience in the induction station, reception center and training camp, and of the grandeur and glory of the uniform in the states, but the general public knows very little of the life of the soldier overseas.

The writer has been in a very fortunate position to observe and speak to the overseas soldier. He was a member of a medical unit which actively participated in the North African, Sicilian, Italian, French and German campaigns. His particular job enabled him to speak to and care for many boys who were front line casualties, and he thereby acquired information and human interest stories from the boys who did the actual fighting. The Ninth Evacuation Hospital seemed to represent the Grand Central Station of the North African Army, as through its tents passed 70% of the battle casualties of the entire campaign. It represented a cross-section of public opinion of the American overseas army during 1943. During 1944 and 1945, it represented the opinion of the various armies allied with ours on the Continent. Truly, it served as the Gallup Poll of the Army of the United States and its allies for three years.

December 7, 1941 found this soldier, like the rest of the country, asleep at the switch. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began a swift series of experiences which radically changed our lives. Draft board interviews, physical examinations, induction notices and actual induction started the change. The lightning-like travels through the induction center, reception center and training camp sped up the change. In two months, the writer was transformed from a peace-loving, ostrich-like citizen to an experienced soldier ready to serve his country on foreign shores.

This story describes solely the American soldiers' experiences overseas.