Dying Hard

Of the 177 enlisted men who formed Company B in 1941, less than 7% percent were still with the unit in May 1945. Many of the absent 93% had died hard, brutal deaths in combat. In the mold of the classic Band of Brothers, Colonel French MacLean presents a dramatic, personalized history of a single company of the US Army through brutal combat in battles at locations such as Normandy, the Ardennes and Hrtgen Forests, Merode Castle, and Remagen Bridge. This is the story of the 9th Division's 39th Infantry Regiment, Company B, a true American melting pot of soldiers from diverse ethnic, religious, racial, and national backgrounds, including Black, Hispanic, White, Mexican, Lakota, Quechan, Canadian, Cuban, Hungarian, Austrian, Norwegian, Scottish, Korean, Filipino, Chinese, Italian, Irish, Greek, Polish, Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant. Of the 177 enlisted men who formed Company B in 1941, less than 7% percent were still with the unit in May 1945. Many of the 93% whose lives were lost died hard, brutal deaths in combat. Readers will learn about the heritage, upbringing, and experiences of individual soldiers along with the history of the unit. This is a personal, dramatic history. Numerous "vignettes" appear throughout the text, which provide contextual information about equipment, terminology, locations, and more. They function like a glossary, but with greater detail and narrative effect. In total, 40 photos and 10 maps are included, most of which are previously unpublished. French MacLean is a retired colonel in the US Army and author of more than a dozen books on the Second World War; he is a recognized expert and experienced researcher. His father, Myron, served as a private in Company B.