BEYOND VALOR

World War II's Rangers and Airborne Reveal the Heart of Combat

Patrick K. O'Donnell

The Free Press/Simon & Schuster, Inc.

March 2001

Genre: Military History

Format: Hard/Soft (trade paperback)

No great army in history has been without its elite formations. Units such as the Praetorian Guard of Rome, the Imperial Guard of Napoleon and Roger’s Rangers of Colonial America have had legacies that often outlived their respective armies. As a rule, these troops were the best-trained, the best-equipped, and had extraordinary leaders as well as arguably the highest espirit de corps in battle. During World War II, America’s Ranger and Airborne troops (paratroopers and glidermen) were America’s elite troops. The stories contained in BEYOND VALOR are not those of generals or politicians, nor of grand strategy and sweeping battlefield maneuvers; instead, they are the stories of hundreds of common men who, some 50 years ago, were thrust into a World War and performed extraordinary deeds.

BEYOND VALOR is a mosaic of verified oral and e-history accounts (e-mail oral history) that allow the participants to shape history as they saw it in their own words. Thousands of extremely rare, previously unpublished photos are available to add a human face to the drama of the stories. BEYOND VALOR covers all aspects of the Airborne and Ranger experience during World War II in the European Theater of Operation (ETO). A significant amount of material covers minorities in the Airborne such as the African-American Triple Nickel paratroopers and the Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The project features not only the well-known battles and Airborne operations of World War II, but also covers in detail the forgotten and lesser-known aspects of the war. The material is unpublished and from the veterans themselves, providing an unfiltered, raw look at WWII from their unique perspective.

BEYOND VALOR could not be more timely. The public’s interest in World War II is at an all-time high, witnessed by NEW YORK TIMES Best Selling books such as THE GREATEST GENERATION, by Tom Brokow, and CITIZEN SOLDIERS, by Steven Ambrose, both filled with personal accounts from the participants of World War II. Movies such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “The Thin Red Line”, as well as future releases by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg titled “Band of Brothers” and “Citizen Soldiers” which will keep World War II history in the public eye. The latter movies will feature American paratroopers and Rangers. Tellingly, the public’s interest in World War II is apparent in the Motion Picture Film Academy’s recent nomination of three WWII films for best picture of 1998 – “Saving Private Ryan,” “A Thin Red Line,” and “Life is Beautiful.”

Another indication of the public’s interest in World War II oral history is the millions of people who have visited The Drop Zone, a website created by the author, which has received over 4 million “hits” since its inception. The Drop Zone is the first Web-based oral history project, and a virtual community of hundreds of World War II Airborne and Ranger veterans. Articles featuring the breakthrough concept of “e-histories” have appeared in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, USA TODAY, WASHINGTON POST, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE BOSTON GLOBE, LOS ANGELES TIMES, ST. LOUIS DISPATCH, MIAMI HERALD, DENVER POST, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, SEATTLE TIMES, BOSTON HERALD, WASHINGTON TIMES, KANSAS CITY STAR, STARS & STRIPES, and ARMY TIMES.

While the target market for BEYOND VALOR is the general public, the thousands of Airborne and Ranger veterans and their families will also certainly be interested in purchasing the book. Airborne and Ranger Associations, comprising over 100,000 members, are some of the most active and closely-knit veterans’ organizations. All of these organizations have been actively participating in The Drop Zone and prominently feature The Drop Zone in their monthly newsletters.

The pioneering use of e-histories also provides a unique format for the book, combining the best of traditional oral history techniques with the technology of the Internet. The book will help define this new paradigm, which will likely be standard practice for oral historians in the years to come.

“Simply put, BEYOND VALOR may be the most gripping book of war memoirs I have ever read—and I have read a lot of them. What Patrick O’Donnell...had done is to recapture, in a way no one else has, what the war really tasted, smelled, and, most importantly, felt like, from the common soldier’s perspective. It’s not all that pleasant, but nearly all is that vivid. Readers feel like they know what death and mud and slim smell like, what artillery sounds like, what raw racism felt like. BEYOND VALOR allows us to know the men who fought in this war in a way a thousand hours of documentaries on the History Channel never could; as flesh-and-blood people.”—THE TOLEDO BLADE (May 27, 2001)

“These paratroopers and Rangers speak for themselves in phrases simple, forceful and extraordinarily poignant. What is so striking and saddening is the persistency of pain fifty-five years later. BEYOND VALOR teaches realities of World War II combat that I have encountered in no other book.”—Gerald F. Linderman, author of THE WORLD WITHIN WAR: AMERICA’S COMBAT EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II

“The pioneering oral historian Patrick K. O’Donnell has done a wonderful job of making the experiences of America’s elite troops come alive again in BEYOND VALOR. These riveting e-mail accounts by gliders and rangers, pilots and paratroopers are reminiscent of such books by Stephen E. Ambrose as D-DAY and CITIZEN SOLDIERS.”—Douglas Brinkley, director of the Eisenhower Center and Professor of History at the University of New Orleans

“These narratives are highly charged, emotional, dramatic, intense. The horrific underside of war has seldom been exposed so graphically. What is shown here, often very powerfully, is the ‘Bad War’ which we prefer not to know too much about.”—Stanley Weintraub, author of MACARTHUR’S WAR: KOREA AND THE UNDOING OF AN AMERICAN HERO

“Patrick K. O’Donnell has employed the technology of the Internet to produce the first serious interactive work of military history in the twenty-first century. Based on oral history interviews first posted on his Internet website, O’Donnell’s BEYOND VALOR is a dramatic and poignant oral history account of combat as seen from the sharp end by those who fought it.

“More than another tribute to the World War II generation of American soldiers, BEYOND VALOR not only captures the essence of the American G.I. In combat, but preserves an important segment of history. Here is war as it was fought: in all of its ugliness, valor, pathos and incompetence. The tales of these men run the gamut from acts of extreme bravery to cowardice. Each is a reflection of the price combat exacts from ordinary men under extraordinary circumstances. Anyone believing that the historiography of World War II has run its course will change his/her mind after reading this outstanding book.

“What Steven Spielberg accomplished visually for the cinema in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, Patrick O’Donnell has accomplished through the printed word. For a unique, profoundly moving experience, read the book, then visit the author’s website at www.thedropzone.com.”—Carlo W. D’Este, author of PATTON: A GENIUS FOR WAR

“As one of the many soldiers who participated in D-Day, I can attest to the importance of documenting the personal accounts of those who fought in the Second World War. BEYOND VALOR offers a realistic portrayal of life at war told by the men who know what really happened—those who were there.”—Senator Strom Thurmond

“Told by the GIs of WWII in their own words, the extraordinary personal histories collected here prove that real war can ultimately only be explained by those who fought it, and that the true heroes too often go uncelebrated. BEYOND VALOR is a fitting memorial to these men.”—W. E. B. Griffin, author of The Corps and the Men at War series

[STARRED REVIEW] “Before there were superheroes, there were these guys: the wild, wooly, and implausibly brave GIs of WWII.... Raw and dramatic stuff.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“...these accounts reveal the human side of war. ...reads like a good documentary. This fresh, personal, and revealing look into the past is recommended for most public and special collections, and the web site is also worth viewing.”—LIBRARY JOURNAL (February 1, 2000)

“A natural reticence to express their experiences characterizes survivors of combat, which makes the more remarkable this set of remembrances the author has induced from American veterans of Airborne and Ranger units that fought in Europe. The soldiers’ reluctance, as many of them point out, stems from words’ absolute inadequacy to convey the noise, gore, and wastage of war: yet O’Donnell has convinced dozens to try. He prefaces their memories with concise summaries and maps of their individual locations in the big picture, then lets the men speak. Their stories, paradoxically, are often difficult to read yet impossible not to. For example, more than a few admit to shooting prisoners, without doubt war crimes; yet the crimes committed in the context of stress, such as the obliteration of buddies, are unimaginable from the distance of 55 years and a comfortable armchair. However ineffable to those who weren’t there, the emotions of combat are at least understandable, thanks to O’Donnell’s ability to draw out his interviewees. A potent addition to World War II memoir literature.”—BOOKLIST

“Mr. O’Donnell has performed a singularly distinctive service on behalf of these great patriots. This book is also a fitting tribute to all of their valiant comrades who perished over a half century ago whole fighting to save their country, and indeed the entire world, from tyranny. Mr. O’Donnell has captured for posterity the incredible deeds of some of America’s bravest men.

“As an Airborne Ranger and member of the Special Forces myself, the first-person accounts of these noble men are particularly moving. Their stories of courage under fire, recorded in their own poignant words, provide a most vivid historical record. The theme that comes through loud and clear is the unbreakable bond that exists between men in combat, and persists despite the passing of many decades.

“The unselfish actions of these remarkable men will serve to inspire future generations of Americans whenever our Nation’s security is threatened. Their sacrifices and accomplishments will live on through the ages.”—Henry H. Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, February 27, 2001, in a letter to the editor of BEYOND VALOR

“[H]ighly readable... Dozens of powerful stories are presented here. A brief review won’t do them justice. Many may shock modern readers with graphic detail. But it’s easy to understand how wartime images were fixed forever in veterans’ minds. When someone asked a vet, ‘How can you remember all that?’ he replied, ‘How can you forget it?’ There is emotion behind every memory.... The result is an engaging and gritty look at armed conflict from those who experienced it firsthand.”—ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS (Denver, CO, April 13, 2001)

“BEYOND VALOR is a great war book...It reminds us that wars are fought by men on the ground, not in the war rooms of higher headquarters.”—John S. D. Eisenhower, author of AGENT OF DESTINY: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT

“My own father served in WWII, and I always wanted him to share his experiences, but we only got bits and pieces. The memories were just too painful. Time is running out for this ‘vanishing generation,’ and unless someone like Mr. O’Donnell takes the time to gather these stories, a part of the Second World War will be lost forever. No simple narrative of a battle can give you the viewpoint of these now-aged warriors.”—Larry K. Bond, author of THE ENEMY WITHIN and DAY OF WRATH

“Patrick O’Donnell...makes his mark as an author in a dramatic and poignant oral history....much like the seminal work of Stephen Ambrose.... To hear the battles from the perspective of these elite soldiers adds an important voice to the narrative history of World War II.... Their descriptions of their service as part of America’s elite troops is captivating.... In some cases, veterans for the first time release emotions and bitter memories that have been bottled up for 60 years. Many of the stories are powerful and moving, even emotionally overwhelming—like that of the Ranger who describes the helpless feeling of seeing his buddies cut down by machine-gun fire rushing ashore at Anzio or attacking a German bunker. This is an easy-to-read book with helpful maps and is bound to be a World War II classic.”—MILITARY HERITAGE (August 2001)

"A raw, uncompromising look at the human drama of war on a personal level, O'Donnell's work is remarkable in its frankness and startling in its reality."—WORLD WAR II (November 2001)

"As one reads BEYOND VALOR, it quickly becomes apparent that many of the soldiers remain haunted by their experiences. Many of them are still wrestling with conflicting emotions. While they were sorry to see their friends killed, many of them remembered being glad that it wasn't them. These men recognize that the war changed them....

"O'Donnell does an excellent job of presenting the stories of a groups of men who receive scarce attention in many books about World War II—the Rangers and the paratroopers. O'Donnell does not sugarcoat their stories. These soldiers' own words demonstrate the fact that the American specialized forces were not always utilized properly, and the results in casualties were often disastrous. Those who died can never tell their stories. With this book, however, O'Donnell will not let these men be forgotten. BEYOND VALOUR adds another piece to the history of American forces fighting in North Africa and Europe during World War II. Students, scholars, and those interested in learning more about the war will find BEYOND VALOR a useful resource."—THE JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY (July 2002)

"Over the course of nine years Patrick O'Donnell interviewed more than 600 World War II veterans.... Their remembrances are glimpses into the true nture of war.... BEYOND VALOR is a fitting, necessary tribute to these men."—AMERICAN (May 2001)

***Rights have reverted from Random House Audio ***
A Main Selection of the Military Book Club
Large Print rights to Thorndike
Trade paperback reprint rights to Touchstone