Nicknamed the Big Red One, 1st Division had fought from North Africa to Sicily, earning a reputation as stalwart warriors on the front lines and rabble-rousers in the rear. Yet on D-Day, these veterans melded with fresh-faced replacements to accomplish one of the most challenging and deadly missions ever.
As the men hit the beach, their equipment destroyed or washed away, soldiers cut down by the dozens, heroes emerged: Sergeant Raymond Strojny, who grabbed a bazooka and engaged in a death duel with a fortified German antitank gun: T/5 Joe Pinder, who braved enemy fire to save a vital radio: Lieutenant John Spaulding and Sargeant Phil Streczyk, who together demolished a German strong point overlooking Easy Red, where hundreds of Americans had landed.
Along the way, historian John McManus explores the Gap Assault Team engineers who dealt with the extensive mines and obstacles, suffering nearly a fifty percent casualty rate: highlights officers such as Brigadier General Willard Wyman and Colonel George Taylor, who led the way to victory: and punctures scores of myths surrounding this long-misunderstood battle.
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