The Ordinary Extraordinary Soldier

The war story of one WW2 80th Infantry Division mechanic by way of his personal letters home to his wife. 

How did George Henderson fit into the big picture of the war? After all, he was a mechanic who never shot a bullet at the enemy and yet earned a Bronze Star for doing his job so well he impacted the outcome of the war. Nevertheless, Sergeant George Henderson, a member of the the 80th Infantry Division, was an ordinary soldier. His story is not any more "special" than the other American soldiers who bravely fought in WW2. George was a 25 year-old young man from Washington State, recently married, and expecting his first child when he headed to Europe to fight the Nazis. His journey through the war is indicative of the "regular" people from his generation who demonstrated unrelenting courage and commitment in spite of their very real fear that they might never see their families again. George Henderson was an ordinary soldier because there are thousands of others just like him. He was extraordinary, however, because like so many others, he answered the call, worked hard to prepare, was good at his job, stayed committed through adversity, and was a remarkable teammate. 

This book is an overview of one man's role during World War 2. George Henderson's own words show he took great pride in being a part of the 80th Infantry Division, a Division that raced through France pushing back the German Army, broke through the Maginot Line, participated in the Battle of Bulge, captured thousands of Germans, liberated concentration camps, and ultimately fired the last shot of World War 2 in Europe. The narrative will trace George's tour from boot camp to his return home. By following the boot prints of George's steps, this book will take the reader inside some of the daily experiences and emotions of this soldier through the many love letters he wrote to his wife. Through his own words, aided and augmented by research and historical context, the reader will learn of George's time in the war in a manner that is easy to follow for even the novice historian.  

This is the story of my grandfather, one ordinary extraordinary soldier, whose love of country brought him to war, his pride in his Division inspired him and made him proud to be in Europe under General George Patton, and his love for his wife and his not-yet-born baby which kept him motivated to get home.