L0810

In July 1943, on a road in central Sicily, a German machine gun position sat atop a rocky cliff about 70 meters above the road. It had stopped the American advance for six hours. Every approach to the base of the cliff was covered. Every attempt to move up the road drew immediate fire from … Read more

In August 1944, the village of Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in Normandy had just been liberated. By evening, French civilians had opened everything they had saved — wine, food, and music. Lieutenant David Pierce was dancing. He did not dance awkwardly or out of obligation. He actually danced. He had grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, in a … Read more

In March 1945, the Third Army was 20 miles from the Rhine. For 11 days, a single German sniper had been working the sector around the town of Bingen. He moved at night and fired at dawn. He was never in the same position twice. In those 11 days, he killed nine officers and 21 … Read more

In November 1944, the Third Army was grinding through the Lorraine campaign in France. The conditions were cold, wet, and brutal. The 761st Tank Battalion, an all-black unit, had been fighting alongside Patton's forces for three weeks. They had proven themselves in combat at Morville, at Guebling, and at a dozen other places most people … Read more

In April 1945, in Erfurt, Germany, three weeks remained before the end of the war in Europe. General George S. Patton was doing what he had always done: moving between his own lines without announcement, without the noise of a staff entourage, and without a prepared schedule, so that he could see the truth as … Read more

In May 1945, three days after the war in Europe ended, Munich was the site of a formal surrender. General George S. Patton was processing the last German units in his sector, one officer at a time. Weapons were surrendered and documents signed. Rank was acknowledged. Then Colonel Ernst Vogel stepped forward. Vogel had commanded … Read more