Once Upon a Time in War: The 99th Division in World War II (review)

During World War II, the U.S. Army created eighty-seven active divisions, sixty-two of which, including the 99th also known as the Checkerboard Division for its distinctive left shoulder patch, served in Northern Europe. Organized in November 1942, the 99th Division trained in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas before departing on September 29, 1944, for Great Britain. In early November, the Division took up positions on the front line in southeastern Belgium. In mid-December 1944, the German Army launched its Ardennes offensive and the 99th Division suffered heavy casualties fighting to hold the high barren ground of Elsenborn Ridge during the Battle of the Bulge. After six weeks of fighting in snow and bitter cold, the German offensive ended. The 99th Division retook the territory it lost during the previous weeks and continued eastward into Germany. On March 10 and 11, 1945, the 99th Division crossed the Rhine River at Remagen as German artillery rained deadly fire down on the now-famous bridge. The Division met German resistance as it fought to reach the vital north/south Reichs Autobahn which connected with the heavily industrialized Ruhr area to the Northwest. Successful in helping secure the Ruhr Pocket, the Division was loaded into trucks for a three-hundred—mile ride to southern Bavaria. After a bloody fight to cross the Danube River, the infantry prepared for the much-anticipated encounter with German forces expected to make a fanatical last stand in the mountains and valleys of the German and Austrian Alps. But the war ended on May 8, 1945, as the 99th Division held its position within sight of the Alps in and around the town of Landshut in southeastern Bavaria. The Division's last assignment before returning to the United States in September 1945 was the occupation of the cities of Wurzburg, Schweinfurt, Aschaffenburg, and surrounding villages in northwestern Bavaria.

In compiling this highly readable account of the experience of frontline soldiers, Humphrey interviewed 350 of the more than 14,000 men who served with the 99th Division. An appendix identifies those interviewed by regiment, battalion, company, and name. Humphrey gives special recognition to 16 of the veterans who went above and beyond as they ". . . repeatedly answered my questions, provided helpful comments, and offered encouragement along the way to completion" (xix).

Oral historians will identify with the process by which the author was drawn into the seven-year project that resulted in this fine history. When Humphrey, a professor of communication studies at California State University, Sacramento, read in the local newspaper of a former World War II soldier who had written a book about his wartime experiences and was taking classes on campus, the two met. The names of other veterans were provided, an invitation to the 99th Division reunion was extended, a visit was made to Europe to see the former battle sites, and articles were produced for the veterans' association newsletter. The veterans liked what they read and urged Humphrey to write a book. As he proceeded with the project, Humphrey found that most of the veterans ". . . had revealed little or nothing to their families . . . regarding what had happened during the war . . . [and] have gone to their graves without sharing what they endured. But those with whom I spoke related experiences that had been seared and sealed into their memory banks . . . . Many interviewees told me I was the first person to ask them directly about their harrowing trials in combat" (xvi-xvii). Humphrey finds that "[f]rontline combat could produce cooperation and brotherhood, the antithesis of the competition and individualism of civil society . . . The war created an unusual emotional bonding experience that could not be recreated" (198).

In addition to several hours of interviews with many of the veterans, follow-up letters, e-mails, and telephone calls helped clarify and amplify their statements. An unanswered question is whether or not transcripts of the interviews are...