Combat Infantryman Releases New Memoir About WWII

Never in the history of the world, before or since, has there been such cataclysmic destruction as there was in World War II. The entire face of the earth changed as millions died and entire cities were razed to rubble. World War II was the harbinger of the Holocaust and the herald of the Atomic Age. For Americans, it was a time of intense patriotism and sacrifice in the cause of freedom throughout the world. With Capt. Richard McCallion Blackburn (U.S. Army Ret.) and Jerald Berry's In The Company Of Heroes, may the world never forget. The book pulses with the complex rhythms of history seen on the battleground-a thrilling, detailed and outstanding exercise in historical documentation.

The vivid accounts of then 1st Lt. Richard Blackburn, a combat infantryman, represent history in its purest form-a firsthand story of how "The Greatest Generation" stepped up to save the world and the freedom we cherish as Americans. He tells readers that, "I was no hero, but I am honored to have served in the company of heroes-those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and rest forever under white crosses in the faraway places they helped to liberate."

Follow an American soldier as he goes to war in the European Theater of Operations. Walk with him among the treacherous hedgerows of Normandy and through the bitter cold of winter in Germany. See through his eyes the death, destruction, and depravity of a world gone mad. From the beaches of Normandy to the gates of Nazi Germany, read of heroic deeds and ultimate sacrifice.

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About the Authors

Richard Blackburn enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 and was assigned to the Army Air Corps after his Basic Training. After serving as a company clerk for approximately a year, then Sergeant Blackburn requested a transfer to the Infantry in order to attend Officer Candidate School. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant after graduation from OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia. On his 23rd Birthday, July 3, 1944, Blackburn sailed from Boston Harbor, destined for Normandy, France as an infantry replacement officer. After entering Normandy through the D-Day beach of Omaha, then 1st Lieutenant Blackburn was assigned as Executive Officer in Company A, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. From this point on, his life would be changed forever. Following the death of his company commander only one month after arriving in Normandy, Lieutenant Blackburn assumed command of his company. He fought in Normandy and Brittany, France, as well as in Germany. Wounded by enemy fire four times, he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantry Badge, European Campaign Ribbon with Three Battle Stars, WW II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Campaign of Service WW II Medal, Jubilee of Liberty Medal from Normandy, France, and the French Legion of Honor Medal.

Jerald W. "Jerry" Berry was a rifleman in Company A, 3rd Battalion, 506th Airborne Infantry, 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. He deployed with his battalion by ship to South Vietnam in October 1967 and was wounded at the beginning of the infamous Communist Tet Offensive in January 1968. In addition to the Purple Heart Medal, Berry received for his wounds in action, he cherishes above others, his Jump Wings, Combat Infantry Badge (CIB), Bronze Star, and Valorous Unit Award that was earned by his battalion for its combat action during the Siege of Phan Thiet in February 1968. After completing his tour of duty in Vietnam, Berry returned home to Mississippi, where he continued his college education, married the love of his life, and began his thirty-year career with the U. S. Forest Service. Following his retirement from Government service as a Staff Wildlife Biologist in 1997, Berry began to pursue his writing career as a Vietnam War historian. He is the author of several books-Psychological Warfare Leaflets of the Vietnam War, The Stand Alone Battalion, A Pictorial Chronology of the 3-506 Vietnam Odyssey (1967-1971), My Gift To You, and Twelve Days in May-The 1970 Cambodia Incursion Story. He currently resides in Libby, Montana with his wife of 44-years, Donna, and continues his dedication to the legacy of the 3-506 by maintaining an active Internet website (http://www.currahee.org) for his fellow Currahees.

In The Company Of Heroes * by Captain Richard McCallion Blackburn (U.S. Army Ret.) and Jerald W. Berry
The Memoirs of Captain Richard McCallion Blackburn, Company A, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment - WW II
Publication Date: May 31, 2013
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 312 pages; 978-1-4836-2699-4
Trade Hardback; $29.99; 312 pages; 978-1-4836-2700-7
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-2701-4

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