Messengers Of The Lost Battalion

The author of Before the Flames and the son of a member of the ill-fated infantry battalion discusses America's 551st Battalion and their heroic, little-known role during World War II's Battle of the Bulge.

Originaly publishied: 1st edition Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., c1938.

The true story of a God-and-Country American.

Since its release in 2006, 'Finding the Lost Battalion' by Robert J. Laplander has become the benchmark work against which all things Lost Battalion related have been measured. Now, in this updated 3rd edition released to coincide with the centennial of America's entry into WW1, Mr. Laplander again takes us to the Charlevaux Ravine to delve deeper into the story than ever before! Meticulously chronicling what would become arguably the most famous event of America's part in the war, we find the truths behind the legend. Spanning twenty years of research and hundreds of sources (most never before seen), the reader is led through the Argonne Forest during September and October, 1918 virtually hour by hour. The result is the single most factual accounting of the Lost Battalion story and their leader, Charles W. Whittlesey, to date. Told in an entertaining, fast moving style, the book has become a favorite the world over! With new Forward by Major-General William Terpeluk, US Army (Ret).

In December 1944 an enormous German army group crashed through the thin American line in the Ardennes forest. Caught by surprise, the Allies were initially only able to throw two divisions of paratroopers to buttress the collapseÑthe 82nd Airborne, which was rushed to the area of St. Vith, and the 101st, which was trucked to Bastogne. After their successful campaign in Holland, Colonel Reuben TuckerÕs elite 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment was resting and refitting in France when news came of the German breakthrough. Most dangerous to the Allies was the German spearhead of the 1st SS Panzer Division led by Jochen Peiper, which aimed to sever the Allied front. The 504th was committed to block the SS advance, and within 48 hours of their arrival Colonel TuckerÕs paratroopers were attacking the SS-Panzergrenadiers of PeiperÕs battlegroup, eventually forcing them to withdraw. More ferocious fighting ensued as follow-up German units forced a U.S. retreat from St. Vith. In adverse weather conditions against the German 9th SS Panzer and 3rd FallschirmjŠger Divisions, the 504th lived up to itÕs regimental motto--Strike and Hold. Although some rifle companies were whittled down to less than 50 paratroopers, the Americans doggedly fought on until victory was achieved. Moving quotations of letters to the next-of-kin provide insight into the impact of their deaths both on the battlefield and homefront.? In this work Van Lunteren provides a fascinating, close-in view of the 504th P.I.R. during the Battle of the Bulge as well as its gallant sacrifice. Using never before published diaries, letters, battle reports and interviews with over 100 veterans, a comprehensive account is painted of a triumphant U.S. regiment in one of the fiercest fought campaigns in the history of the U.S. Army.

Though he has spent half of his life elsewhere, Gregory Orfalea has remained obsessed with Los Angeles. That Òbrutal, beautiful city along the Pacific seaÓ shaped him and led to a series of essays originally published in the Los Angeles Times Magazine. These deeply moving pieces are gathered here together for the first time. Populated with fascinating charactersÑthe Angelenos of OrfaleaÕs lifeÑthese essays tell the story of the authorÕs trials. He returns to Los Angeles to teach, trying to reconcile the LA of his childhood with the city he now faces. He takes on progressively more difficult and painful subjects, finally confronting the memories of the shocking tragedy that took the lives of his father and sister. With more than 400,000 Arab Americans in Los AngelesÑprobably surpassing Detroit as the largest contingent in AmericaÑOrfalea also explores his own community and its political and social concerns. He agonizes over another destruction of Lebanon and examines in searing detail a massacre of civilians in Iraq. Angeleno Days takes the memoir and personal essay to rare heights. Orfalea is a deeply human writer who reveals not only what it means to be human in America now, but also what it will take to remain human in the days to come. These essays soar, confound, reveal, and strike at our senses and sensibilities, forcing us to think and feel in new ways.

Much has been written about the famous 'Lost Battalion' of WW1, but few personal stories by the men who were there have ever been widely distributed. Now, Lost Battalion and 77th Division historian and author Robert J. Laplander changes all that in 'The Lost Battalion: As They Saw It'. Drawing on his 25+ years' worth of research into the event, the world's leading authority on the subject presents 31 stories by those who were there, told in their own words. From high ranking officers on down to the lowliest private, it's all here described in their own way; what they saw, what they heard, how they felt - and what it did to some of them afterwards. Often moving and occasionally terrifying, these stories paint a broad mosaic of their experiences, colored by their own backgrounds and personalities. For those seeking to understand the Lost Battalion event in a more direct way, as the men themselves understood it, this volume with be a welcome addition to their library. However, for all it is a wonderful and interesting peek into one of the most famous events of World War One!