Memories of WWII

In Memories of WWII the author re-lives what it is like to be converted from a peace-loving civilian into a soldier during wartime. After making the transition, and adapting to life in the field artillery, he is selected for specialized training in psychology. With the invasion of Europe approaching, he is assigned to team up with the psychiatrist of an Infantry Division that is preparing for combat in the European Theater. Overseas, their unit is placed just behind the front lines of the Division so that they can deal with the influx of soldiers suffering from the acute stress of combat. He describes "Combat Exhaustion" or "Battle Fatigue" in the immediacy of its onset, the methods employed to treat it, and the central issues for fear and courage in battle. In addition, he shares his memories of some of the shocking, repugnant, and ugly realities that follow in the wake of combat. He tells vivid and unforgettable stories of dead bodies and body parts, of ignoble acts, of Buchenwald, of displaced persons, of human waste, of looting, of sex, rape, and venereal disease, of homosexuality in the army, and of racial interaction in a segregated military. He takes us with his Infantry Division through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany until finally linking up with Soviet forces at the Elbe River. He re-creates the hilarity, and also the tension and its resolution, when celebrating victory with the Russians. Lastly, he provides insight about the military occupation of Germany after the cessation of hostilities. His final days awaiting transport to an emotional homecoming are spent in a former Hitler Youth Camp in Bavaria.