Currahee Chris
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 4,776
While I am on vacation, I finished the Gentle Giant of the 26TH Division. Bought the book while at WW2 festival in Reading Pa. The book highlights the Army career of Alfred Wilson, a Pa native who was posthumously awarded the Congressional for his selfless actions in France in November 44.
The book is written by his niece who of course never met him. One day cleaning the attic, she discovers a box of letters from him and literally uses them to narrate the bulk of the story. Just pretty much rehashes his letters and narrates around them in a very thoughtful manner.
This book really doesn't do much to add to the current knowledge base of WW2 history- no critical analysis of what went wrong, etc- it is however, one of my favorite WW2 books that I have read. The letters, though a bit repetitive really illustrated the truth of the courage of the American Soldier- in that no one who wears the uniform asks to be a hero- Wilson himself quite often explains how much he hated the army and how much he hoped the war would be over before he and his unit were deployed. He was very very similar to Alvin York- a stout religious man who decided to be a medic because he didn't want to kill anyone. The reader can't help but fall in love with this meek and courageous man. He came from Fairchance Pa, which is from the Western part of this awesome State!! Reading a lot of the narration, I could also appreciate the "western Pa" coming out in the story as well.
The story culminates in the author going back to France where he fell and sitting in the field where he died and writing a letter to him. It was a very moving and fitting tribute. It was really chilling for me to read about his last visit home when he was at a friends house who had a 5 month old baby. Alfred held the infant in his arms and broke down and told his friends that he knew this was his last time at home and he wouldn't be coming back.
A great read through and through- definately more of a "Lifetime" channel war novel than a "History" channel read but I strongly encourage this book to anyone who is interested in getting to know the soldiers behind the green!!!
ISBN 0-929915-11-9
Carolyn McKinney
Headline Books Inc.
STANDS ALONE!!
CC
The book is written by his niece who of course never met him. One day cleaning the attic, she discovers a box of letters from him and literally uses them to narrate the bulk of the story. Just pretty much rehashes his letters and narrates around them in a very thoughtful manner.
This book really doesn't do much to add to the current knowledge base of WW2 history- no critical analysis of what went wrong, etc- it is however, one of my favorite WW2 books that I have read. The letters, though a bit repetitive really illustrated the truth of the courage of the American Soldier- in that no one who wears the uniform asks to be a hero- Wilson himself quite often explains how much he hated the army and how much he hoped the war would be over before he and his unit were deployed. He was very very similar to Alvin York- a stout religious man who decided to be a medic because he didn't want to kill anyone. The reader can't help but fall in love with this meek and courageous man. He came from Fairchance Pa, which is from the Western part of this awesome State!! Reading a lot of the narration, I could also appreciate the "western Pa" coming out in the story as well.
The story culminates in the author going back to France where he fell and sitting in the field where he died and writing a letter to him. It was a very moving and fitting tribute. It was really chilling for me to read about his last visit home when he was at a friends house who had a 5 month old baby. Alfred held the infant in his arms and broke down and told his friends that he knew this was his last time at home and he wouldn't be coming back.
A great read through and through- definately more of a "Lifetime" channel war novel than a "History" channel read but I strongly encourage this book to anyone who is interested in getting to know the soldiers behind the green!!!
ISBN 0-929915-11-9
Carolyn McKinney
Headline Books Inc.
STANDS ALONE!!
CC