Americans Behind the Barbed Wire - Softcover

Diggs, J. Frank

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743474821 ISBN 13: 9780743474825

Publisher: UNKNO, 2003

Synopsis

They went from being soldiers fighting on the front line to being prisoners of war-"kriegies"-fighting for survival. Imprisoned behind the barbed wire of a German POW camp, their enemies were hunger, cold, and boredom. This is the uplifting story of endurance, sacrifice, and courage that never made the headlines, but was just as real as the great battles of World War II.

About this title

About the Author

J. Frank Diggs was born in Hagerstown, Maryland in November of 1917, graduating from American University in 1938. After receiving his Master s Degree in Economics from the George Washington University and an early stint as a writer for the Washington Post, he was drafted into the peacetime army in 1941. He was commissioned a second Lieutenant in 1942 . He participated in four amphibious landings and three campaigns in the Europe-Africa Theater. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart. He also became a prisoner of the Germans after a less than successful landing behind enemy lines in Sicily. He spent 18 months as a POW until eventually escaping and making his way out through Russia.
After the war, the author left the army and spent nearly 40 years as a writer, reporter, and editor with U.S. News and World Report. He covered military affairs for a number of years, starting with the Bikini Bomb Tests in the Pacific in 1946. As a reporter, he cruised aboard nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers, attended Marine Corps war games, flew missions with the Air Force, and witnessed close-up the Soviet Missile Crisis in Cuba. He was also a regular participant in the Army War College s Annual National Strategy Seminars. His specialty, however, remained economics, and in 1982 he retired from U.S. News and World Report as a Senior Editor. J. Frank, as he is usually called, loves travel, and has visited over 108 countries on all five continents. After retiring, he continued to write for the Maturity News Service, syndicated by the New York Times to several hundred newspapers across the country.

Review

"This inspirational book provides a firsthand look at the remarkable men who served with bravery as prisoners of the Germans in WWII and fought to reclaim the world's freedom."-Senator John McCain; "This factual story serves to illustrate the dedication, loyalty, and willingness to accept hardships and danger for their country that Tom Brokaw has described as 'The Greatest Generation.' Frank tells us why that is a deserved description."-Senator John Glenn; "The author has performed an outstanding job by combining his unique journalistic talent and his own personal experiences to provide the reader with a very realistic view of the hazards, hardships, and conditions of military conflict."-Lt. General Thomas H. Miller, USMC (ret.)

Edition details

• Publisher: UNKNO
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0743474821
• ISBN 13: 9780743474825
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192