Normandy to the Bulge
Written by Pfc. Richard D. Courtney
Reviewed by Dara Lyon Warner
Dick Courtney’s high school graduation trip was an
unforgettable sojourn through several European
countries: Like many of our fathers and grandfathers,
he was an infantry soldier in World War II. As was the
case for thousands of other returning GIs, Dick’s first
priority upon returning to America was re-learning how
to be a civilian. Those of us who have served in the
military – whether or not we have combat experience – can appreciate this to a certain
extent. For the veteran who has lived under fire, however, it carries a far greater
depth and breadth of significance.
Decades later, a chance discussion of the D-Day invasion prompted Dick’s recollection
of the diaries he had kept during the war. With the encouragement of a retired
Colonel – one he had neither served with, nor even met before – Dick began working
in earnest to transform those diaries into what became the first printing of this book,
in 1997.
Normandy to the Bulge gives us the first-hand account of a sheltered young man whose
eyes rapidly and inexorably open to a world he had not even imagined: a world where
momentarily forgetting that chocolate has a distinctive aroma could have meant death
by hand grenade; where being able to wash once in two weeks was often an unknown
luxury, and where lice were unavoidable. We watch his metamorphosis from an
untried youngster to a confident, capable and courageous soldier. We cheer when he
returns alive and unhurt. We mourn with him the men with whom he served who did
not return. And we touch the edges of understanding how much the commitment and
energy of Dick Courtney’s generation contributed to every aspect of American society.
Written by Pfc. Richard D. Courtney
Reviewed by Dara Lyon Warner
Dick Courtney’s high school graduation trip was an
unforgettable sojourn through several European
countries: Like many of our fathers and grandfathers,
he was an infantry soldier in World War II. As was the
case for thousands of other returning GIs, Dick’s first
priority upon returning to America was re-learning how
to be a civilian. Those of us who have served in the
military – whether or not we have combat experience – can appreciate this to a certain
extent. For the veteran who has lived under fire, however, it carries a far greater
depth and breadth of significance.
Decades later, a chance discussion of the D-Day invasion prompted Dick’s recollection
of the diaries he had kept during the war. With the encouragement of a retired
Colonel – one he had neither served with, nor even met before – Dick began working
in earnest to transform those diaries into what became the first printing of this book,
in 1997.
Normandy to the Bulge gives us the first-hand account of a sheltered young man whose
eyes rapidly and inexorably open to a world he had not even imagined: a world where
momentarily forgetting that chocolate has a distinctive aroma could have meant death
by hand grenade; where being able to wash once in two weeks was often an unknown
luxury, and where lice were unavoidable. We watch his metamorphosis from an
untried youngster to a confident, capable and courageous soldier. We cheer when he
returns alive and unhurt. We mourn with him the men with whom he served who did
not return. And we touch the edges of understanding how much the commitment and
energy of Dick Courtney’s generation contributed to every aspect of American society.
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