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According to the book description of Safely Rest, “From 1945
to 1950, the United States returned 178,000 dead American servicemen back home and reburied another 80,000 in overseas cemeteries
at their families' request. Never before had a nation returned so many of its fallen warriors from distant battlefields.
But another 78,000 servicemen were still missing in action-their bodies never to be found-their families never to know the
peace of closure. Safely Rest
recalls this virtually forgotten episode of WWII through the recollections of the survivors and the letters and histories
of the dead themselves. It tells of those who struggled to absorb their loss and rebuild their lives-and of those who would
never be able to move on. Most
memorably, it tells of Lt. Jesse D. "Red" Franks, Jr--first reported missing, then dead, then reported to be alive-and
of his extraordinarily devoted father, who gave up everything to work as a missionary in war-torn Europe for years until he
discovered what truly happened to his son.” Jay Karamales, co-author of Against the Panzer: United States Infantry versus German Tanks, 1944-1945, said of The
Road to Victory: The Untold Story of World War II's Red Ball Express, “The old adage says that amateurs
talk tactics while professionals talk logistics. Yet there is a sad dearth ofbooks that examine World War II logistical operations
in any detail. Colley's well-researched, well-written book helps fill that void and sets a standard for measuring the
impact of supply considerations on combat operations. I was particularly impressed by the discussion of racism and its impact
not only on the Red Ball but on the conduct of the war . . .In this sense, Colley's book . . .contribute(s) to the growing
collection of works . . .on racism in American society and the armed forces in World War II.”
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David P. Colley was
born in San Francisco and raised in the U.S. and in Europe. He is a graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and served
in the Ordnance branch of the U.S. Army. After military service he became a journalist, first as a reporter and assistant
city editor with the Trenton, N.J. Trentonian and later as a reporter with the Baltimore Evening Sun. During his journalism
career he won numerous national and regional awards for excellence. David P. Colley is the author of Blood for
Dignity: The Story of the First Integrated Combat Unit in the U.S. Army; Decision at Strasbourg: Ike's Strategic Mistake
to Halt the Sixth Army Group at the Rhine in 1944; Safely Rest; and, The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of World War II's
Red Ball Express. LTC Edward G. Miller, US Army (Ret), said of Decision at Strasbourg: Ike's Strategic Mistake
to Halt the Sixth Army Group at the Rhine in 1944, “This is an exceptionally well-crafted story of high
level decisions under the pressures of war. Colley has written a great book that is easy to read, rich in detail and balanced
in its coverage of controversial events whose impacts reverberate even today. Just when you think you've read everything
on the US Army in WWII, think again. This welcome addition to the historian's bookshelf offers fresh analysis of famous
personalities like Eisenhower and Bradley, and will introduce readers to others, like Jacob L. Devers, who deserve much more
attention for their service. This book will fascinate anyone interested in untold stories of conflict and leadership.”
Booklist said of Blood for Dignity: The Story of the First Integrated
Combat Unit in the U.S. Army, “General Eisenhower ordered the integration of U.S. combat divisions in
Germany in 1945, providing an opportunity for black soldiers to exhibit bravery and loyalty and solidify the basis for their
demands of dignity. Colley interviewed several veterans of K Company, 394th Regiment, the first black soldiers to be integrated
with white troops since the American Revolution. The veterans recount memories of an intense combat environment--fighting
alongside their white countrymen on battlegrounds and, at the same time, fighting the bias and negative perceptions of those
same countrymen toward black soldiers. Their war experience proves to be exemplary, dispelling more than a century of stereotypes
of blacks as cowardly and disloyal. However, along with the glory of their combat experience, the veterans recalled racial
prejudice and hatred, starting with basic training in the Deep South. But the frontline held the greatest appeal as an arena
for proving their bravery, loyalty, and expectations to be treated as equals in all aspects of American life.” |
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