Experience the life of a common man called to serve in the US Army Infantry in the “Great Crusade” of World War II, landing at Utah Beach and fighting across France. Although built around the experience of one man, this is the story of many. Learn of social history in the US before and during the war, military training in the states, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, staging in England, crossing the English Channel, landing in Normandy, major battles of Mont Castre, the Falaise Gap, and the assault on Metz. Personal experiences are set in the context of the overall war effort in Europe, military strategy and tactics, the battlefield situation, logistics, equipment, leadership, and morale. Perspectives include those at division, regiment, battalion, company, platoon, squad, and foxhole levels. 
 
Fourteen years of researching original-source documents (including Morning Reports, Battalion and Division Journals, correspondence and interviews with veterans of the 90 th Infantry Division, analysis of maps used during the war, and photographs taken during the war) provide the backbone of this book. That, together with over one hundred letters written back to the States and accounts provided by first-hand participants, provide a fact-based account unlike any before. One letter includes everything a father might want to say to his one-year-old son in case it might be his last letter. Two trips following his footsteps in France led to invaluable insights about the combat. Grounded by a career in strategic military intelligence analysis, the author suggests this book will be valued by those interested in military history and education, family history researchers seeking how to discover the service of World War II veterans, and those seeking to understand and honor the brave men who were part of “The Greatest Generation.”