Not in Vain: A Rifleman Remembers World War II

Standifer, Leon C.

Growing up in prewar Clinton, Mississippi, the author was heir to a conservative Southern Baptist tradition and a Bible-based way of life. Volunteering for an Army program that would have sent him to college, Standifer instead ended up a rifleman in the 94th Division in the Normandy fighting. In these memoirs, he touches on topics ranging from race relations and dating rituals of the small Southern town to military training and experiences of combat. Standifer questions the motivations for fighting, for risking one's life in combat, and his own experiences illuminate these questions. A lifelong attempt to reconcile his upbringing, training, and experiences with the needs of a nation at war has produced this thoughtful and thought-provoking book; his comparisons of World War II, Vietnam, and the Gulf War will be of particular interest to those curious about the viewpoints of enlisted personnel. Recommended for historical and Southern collections.-- Stanley Planton, Ohio Univ.
Chillicothe Lib.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.