Search -
None More Courageous - American War Heroes Of Today
None More Courageous American War Heroes Of Today Author:Stewart H. Holbrook AMERICAN WAR HEROES OF TODAY STEWART H. HOLBROOK wot THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1942 , 2.942, A. 11 r-iplits reserved - no prirt o tliirt Ioolc tn - writing from tlit .. l y s rovic-wer - vv-lio wi. slic- to iiucjtt tint-1 .55 in connection vvitli T-exic v vrittt-n inclusion. in. mi azinu ox-I RI N TI K o. PRTWTKD TW TMK XJNITEH STATES O BOOK STRA. T... more »FORI7 PRT SS, T3SC. P THE PACE OF THIS WAR is terribly swift. A cunning and ruthless enemy attacked without warning from out of a peaceful sky and caught United States armed forces in a shameful nap. The enemy pressed the advantage, and the first few months of the war have been a repetition, so far as the United States is concerned, of battles against fright ful odds in men and equipment. It has been and still is a tragic time for our fighting men. Outnumbered, outequipped, fighting in strange lands and seas, they have proved again and again there are no better fighting men on earth, and none more courageous. But courage is not enough. They must have more weight, as we say, to push around more of everything except courage. This book deals with the courage of individual American fighting men and women, not all of them to be sure, nor even a small part. But it may give a fair idea of the kind of men who are fighting our battles. Most men who live to be decorated for bravery know very well that others went through the same dangers, displayed the same sort of courage, and fought the battle just as nobly, but were not decorated. In short, not all heroes wear medals but you may be sure that men who wear American medals for bravery are genuine heroes. And new heroes appear almost daily. Many are decorated ih senV V iiktlie eFofes r nd medals of otlicrs must go to th r addened f plkr Vhc ai e r - described officially as the next of km 6 swift is this v ar indeed, and so crowding are heroic actions t at those who bore the brunt of Hie lirst savage attacksrarid performed so gallantly are already in danger of being forgotten by the public they fought and often died for. A few of their brave actions are here chronicled. The major sources of information gathered for this book were naturally the official ones the public relations depart ments of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, ihe oast Guard, and the Army Nurse Corps. The author was fortunate in having personal interviews with many of the heroes, both decorated and otherwise, whose names and stories appear in this book. In other cases he talked with persons, both friends and relatives, who knew the men and women before and during Ihe present war. The author was also fortunate to have the dispatches and interviews of many able correspondents and other news papermen from which to draw information, especially the following men and one woman Hanson W. Itulilwin, Cecil Brown, Lawrence E. Davies, David I la en, Frank Hewlett, Annalce Jocoby, II. R. Knickerbocker, Clark Ler, John I. Norris, Robert Shcrrod, Lee Van Atta, and leorjje Wellcr. In addition were a number of news accounts by unnamed correspondents whose identity is not known to l u-author but to whom, along with the other sources named, tin author cites his indebtedness and expresses his deep appreciation. PAGE Foreword v CHAPTER 1. Captain Wermuth at War 3 2. The Cruise of the MarbleJiead 23 3. Lieutenant Wheless Goes Bombing 39 4. Bulkeley, the PT Boat Man 51 5. The Voyage of Harley Olson 67 6. OHare and Nine Japs 81 7. Old-Fashioned Fighting Man 89 8. Underseas Fighters 99 9. Raid on Tokyo 113 10. The Saga of the Pigeon 127 11. Battle at Wake 137 12. Patwing Tens Life and Times 149 13. The Words of Fighting Men 165 14. Young Women at War 171 , vyi,, .... CONTENTS 16. Fighting, 3il, ijjinos 17. Seaman Cullcti Walks Post 18. Captain Kellys Last Flight 19. They Come in All Kinds 20. What the Medals Mean PAR K 183 195 20JJ FACING PAGE Captain Arthur W. Wermuth 8 Captain Hewitt T. Wheless 44 Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley and Captain Leland P...« less