D-Day and Beyond: The Things Our Fathers Saw—The Untold Stories of the World War II Generation-Volume V

NEW BOOK: D-DAY AND BEYOND

“We know we don’t have much time left, so I tell my story, so people know it was because of that generation, because of those guys in this cemetery. All these generals with all this brass, that don’t mean nothing. These guys in the cemetery, they are the heroes.” 

-99-year-old Steve Melnikoff, World War II veteran, standing at the Normandy American Cemetery, June 6, 2019.

Did you pay attention when the 75th anniversary of D-Day rolled around?

I talked to them, recorded what they had to say, as did my like-minded students and friends. And that is what this book is about; sadly, most have now passed on, but I want to keep them alive for future generations of Americans.

For the cover, I went to the National Archives and chose a public domain photograph that is very famous; in fact, it has been used several times before for books on D-Day. My book is a bit different than all the others, though, and I wanted the cover to reflect that. So I had my designer zoom in on the men—the face of the soldier half-turned, the image of the men wading through the murderous surf toward the obstacle littered Omaha Beach, their backs laden down with equipment and trying to keep rifles dry.

What makes this book different from all the rest? Well, like the rest of the books in my ‘The Things Our Fathers Saw’ series, I wanted the men to speak for themselves; I weave their stories into a tapestry of contextual historical experience for the reader, but I want the overall impression you get to be as if you yourself are sitting down across the kitchen table with someone who is baring his soul. When interviewed, our World War II generation realized that time was no longer on their side, and they had something to get off their chests, some never having spoken about their wartime experiences before. Some guys got emotional. Some were speaking to young people about their own age when they had to go to war. It was cathartic, and I wanted this book to reflect that.

An engineer dropping into the surf to clear beach obstacles is suddenly struck by a vision of the postman delivering his KIA telegram to the family house back home.
*
A tank driver recalls the bullets pinging off his Sherman as it advanced up the beach, like someone throwing marbles at a car, wondering, with his limited view, if he was driving over the bodies of dead and dying men.
*
The Coast Guardsman directed back to the fantail of his ship, only to find his hometown friend, killed earlier that day, propped up for the return to England.
*
The GI later buried alive in his foxhole by a German artillery round, teeth knocked out, still feeling the shrapnel in his cheek every morning when he shaves.

And many more. To be sure, this is an important work; it’s currently battling it out for the #1 New Release in United States Veterans History over at Amazon. While I am still working on it, I have made the ebook available for pre-order for my followers at a discounted price, which will rise the day it is released. Once the ebook is released, the paperback and hardcover versions also be available. (Some of you have asked about the availability of hardcover books; I am happy to report that you can order them for all of my titles, from Amazon and other booksellers or directly from me, autographed).

Just 4 summers ago, I released my first book. This will be my 6th new title. As always, thanks for your support and I think you will enjoy this volume. Remember.

Matthew Rozell