V-Mail: Letters of a World War II Combat Medic Winston, Keith

A collection of letters from an American GI in Germany offers a unique picture of World War II

YA Never intended for publication, these letters were written almost daily from March 1944 to November 1945 by 32-year-old combat medic to his wife in Philadelphia. This enlisted man's day-by-day reactionsto the war, to the natives, to France and Germany and to his intense homesickness for his wife and childrenare the expressions of an average citizen-soldier. He saw the heroism of the combat infantrymen first-hand during 170 days of front-line action. Endpapers show maps of the Battle of the Vosges Mountains and of the operations of the 100th Infantry Division in the European theater. Maps and photographs of Winston's buddies help make them and the course of battle more real. This book gives a clear view of the average soldier's prejudices and an understanding of the conflict in which he was engaged. Mary Wadsworth Sucher, Baltimore County Reading Services
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Winston was a 32-year-old father of two when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944. This insurance underwriter who had been forced to leave college during the Depression left a vivid firsthand account of his experience in training and as a combat medic in Europe where he served 170 days in action with the 100th Infantry Division. These letters to his wife retain their freshness and vitality, while offering a rare insight into the life of a family separated by war and a GI's view of the world in 1944-45. Winston hated the war and killing, yet had a great empathy for the combat soldier. He made light of his own deeds despite his wounds and award of the Bronze Star. Winston died in 1970. Highly recommended for academic and popular collections. George F. Scheck, Naval War Coll. Lib., Newport, R.I.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.