Victory Road

Victory Road is the story of a determined young soldier in an artillery battalion of the famous 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. First Army. The author accurately and compellingly describes a soldier's experiences in Army basic training, being shipped overseas to England in December 1943 on the ocean liner Queen Mary, further training in England, crossing the English Channel to Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day+4, and then fighting the German forces for almost a year while living in the field during all four seasons. He explains how an artillery battalion functions, how it supports in battle the division's infantry regiments and in a fashion that brings to life what real combat action is all about. Baldridge earned a battlefield commission to second lieutenant and was awarded a Bronze Star medal for the part he played as an artillery forward observer up front with the infantry in all of the many major battles that the First Army fought. He also ties in his experiences with what was going on at the same time with the larger picture at higher levels of command on up to SHAEF. The author concludes with stories of his occupation duties near Munich, and personal observations of his about the Germans at that time. Finally, going back home "on points" in January 1946 after missing three Christmas's there while overseas in four countries. What adds even more to this book is his recounting of his family's experiences during those wartime years. His father, a World War I artillery captain in 1918 in France and later a U.S. Congressman and lawyer in Nebraska, was instrumental in helping to get Congress to pass the 1940 Selective Service Act-the "Draft"-and then joined the Army Air Forces. His brother, Malcolm, was also an artilleryman and forward observer, serving as a first lieutenant with the 27th Infantry Division during the final battles against Japan on Okinawa. 177 photos, 3 illustrations, 6 maps, 30 documents. A Merriam Press World War II Memoir.