Death and life in the Big Red One : a soldier's World War II journey from North Africa to Germany / Joseph P. Olexa ; edited by James R. Smither.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Olexa, Joseph P., 1918-2000, author.

Series:

Number 22 in the North Texas military biography and memoir series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Olexa, Joseph P., 1918-2000.

Olexa, Joseph P.

United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 26th (1901-1957). Company C.

United States.

Soldiers--United States--Biography.

Soldiers.

World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.

World War, 1939-1945.

World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Africa, North.

World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Western Front.

Genre:

Personal narratives.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (369 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Denton, TX : University of North Texas Press, [2023]

Summary:

"Joe Olexa enlisted in the US Army in December 1940, figuring that if he was going to be in a war, he might as well start training. Assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, nicknamed "The Big Red One," he served in Company L of its 26th Infantry Regiment for the next four years. Along the way he trained with the division in maneuvers in the United States; shipped to England in 1942; landed at Oran, Algeria, in the Operation Torch landings of November 1942; and fought in Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Belgium, and Germany. Olexa was one of the first group of enlistees that brought the division up to full strength in the buildup prior to Pearl Harbor, and was a sergeant by the time he went overseas. He served as a squad leader, platoon sergeant, and acting platoon leader, outlasting nearly all the men in his company. His memoir features accounts of unusual adventures in Tunisia when his battalion was detached from the rest of the division, and presents a detailed and intense account of his platoon's experiences at El Guettar. Later, Olexa became a "Sea Scout," going ashore on Sicily the night before the invasion to provide signals to guide landing craft onto the beach at Gela. After landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day, Olexa was selected by his battalion commander to hunt snipers and lead patrols in addition to his usual duties, and he fought in Normandy until wounded in late June. He rejoined his company in mid-September 1944 and was heavily involved in the capture of Aachen in October. His memoir, originally composed in the late 1970s and expertly edited and annotated by James Smither, offers remarkable insights into the experiences of an ordinary soldier who found himself in truly extraordinary situations"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preparing for War

Oran

Into Tunisia

Feeling Out the Enemy

Kasserine and El Guettar

Last Battles in Tunisia

Sea Scout

Sicily

England Again

D-Day to Ste. Anne

Caumont

Recovery

To the German Frontier

Aachen

A Very Long Day

The Long Road Home.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Olexa, Joseph P. Death and Life in the Big Red One

ISBN:

9781574419054

OCLC:

1352989570