Every man a hero : a memoir of D-Day, the first wave at Omaha Beach, and a world at war

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Title:

Every man a hero : a memoir of D-Day, the first wave at Omaha Beach, and a world at war

Author:

Lambert, Ray (Arnold Ray), author.

DeFelice, Jim, 1956- author.

Summary:

Seventy-five years ago, he hit Omaha Beach with the first wave. Now Ray Lambert, ninety-eight years old, recalls his role as a World War II medic who risked his life to save the heroes of D-Day. It is the story not only of what happened in the desperate hours on Omaha Beach, but of the bravery and courage that preceded them throughout the Second World War -- from the sands of Africa, through the treacherous mountain passes of Sicily and beyond, to the greatest military victory the world has ever known.

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Introduction: 0-hour +15 / by Jim DeFelice -- Prologue: Why we remember -- Early days -- Echoes of war -- Infamy and England -- Lighting the torch -- My life in my hands -- Husky -- (Some) rest for the weary -- A mighty endeavor -- Beyond despair -- Deliverance -- Breakout -- The rewards of peace -- Legacy -- Collaborator's note: Bringing Ray's story to the page / by Jim DeFelice -- Appendix A: The combat medics of World War II -- Appendix B: Battle fatigue, psychoneurosis, and PTSD in World War II -- Appendix C: Further reading.

Physical Description:

xxvii, 283 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 24 cm

Genre:

Personal narratives.

Autobiographies.

Personal Subject:

Lambert, Ray (Arnold Ray)

Corporate Subject:

United States. Army -- Medical personnel -- Biography.

Subject Term:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Medical care.

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

World War, 1939-1945 -- Veterans -- Biography.

Operation Neptune.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Biography.

Author(s):

DeFelice, Jim, 1956-

Publisher:

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9780062937483

Publication Information:

New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2019]

Call Number:

940.547 LAMBERT

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003432260	Adult Nonfiction	940.547 LAMBERT	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

The New York Times Bestseller ^ Winner of the Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award

Omaha Beach legend Ray Lambert's unforgettable firsthand account of D-Day

"Lambert landed on [Omaha Beach] as a 23-year-old Army medic. ... As the bullets cut down his comrades, he raced repeatedly back into the sea to drag out wounded soldiers." --New York Times

Seventy-five years ago, he hit Omaha Beach with the first wave. Now D-Day legend Ray Lambert (1920-2021) delivers one of the most remarkable memoirs of our time, a tour-de-force of remembrance evoking his role as a decorated World War II medic who risked his life to save the heroes of Normandy.

At five a.m. on June 6, 1944, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ray Lambert worked his way through a throng of nervous soldiers to a wind-swept deck on a troopship off the coast of Normandy, France. A familiar voice cut through the wind and rumble of the ship's engines. "Ray!" called his brother, Bill. Ray, head of a medical team for the First Division's famed 16th Infantry Regiment, had already won a silver star in 1943 for running through German lines to rescue trapped men, one of countless rescues he'd made in North Africa and Sicily.

"This is going to be the worst yet," Ray told his brother, who served alongside him throughout the war.

"If I don't make it," said Bill, "take care of my family."

"I will," said Ray. He thought about his wife and son-a boy he had yet to see. "Same for me." The words were barely out of Ray's mouth when a shout came from below.

To the landing craft!

The brothers parted. Their destinies lay ten miles away, on the bloodiest shore of Normandy, a plot of Omaha Beach ironically code named "Easy Red."

Less than five hours later, after saving dozens of lives and being wounded at least three separate times, Ray would lose consciousness in the shallow water of the beach under heavy fire. He would wake on the deck of a landing ship to find his battered brother clinging to life next to him.

Every Man a Hero is the unforgettable story not only of what happened in the incredible and desperate hours on Omaha Beach, but of the bravery and courage that preceded them, throughout the Second World War--from the sands of Africa, through the treacherous mountain passes of Sicily, and beyond to the greatest military victory the world has ever known.

Author Notes

Jim DeFelice has written over a dozen works of fiction and nonfiction for young people. His works include: Havana Strike, published in 1997, and Brother's Keeper published in 2000. He is the co-author of Dreamland with Dale Brown. He also co-authored best sellers American Sniper and American Gun with Chris Kyle. In 2014, his nonfiction ebook made the New York Times bestseller list; it was entitled Code Name: Johnny Walker.

DeFelice co-authored 2015 New York Times and Publisher's Weelky bestseller American Wife with Chris Kyle's widow, Taya Kyle.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this gripping memoir, the now-98-year-old Staff Sgt. Lambert, a U.S. army medic who was awarded Silver and Bronze Star medals and Purple Hearts, recounts his prewar life and his experiences at Omaha Beach, "the bloodiest of all the places the Allies landed on D-Day." After a brief introduction to that battle, the story rewinds to Lambert's upbringing on an Alabama farm during the Great Depression, his and his brother's 1939 enlistment in the army, and being shipped off to England in 1942. A treasure trove of details about WWII military life follows: how the army and its battalions were organized, how medics were trained and how they handled malaria and trench foot, and how the soldiers reacted to encountering members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Lambert was in Tunisia as Operation Vulcan unfolded in April 1943, in Sicily for Operation Husky that July, and in the Normandy landing on D-Day, where his back was broken saving soldiers. This tale is further enriched by descriptions of life on the home front (ration books, price controls, Victory Gardens). Told with both dramatic immediacy and charming folksy flourishes ("I like to tell people I'm older than Noah and the Flood, but that's not true"), this excellent memoir stands out among this year's crop of D-Day books. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

By writing this memoir, Silver Star recipient Lambert has fulfilled one last duty for his country. While the book might not be the best on D-Day (see Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day and John C. McManus's The Dead and Those About To Die) it is among the most poignant. The affecting quality partly comes from Lambert having written this in his 90s, collaborating with author DeFelice (American Sniper). Though primarily focused on the D-Day operations, this account tells much more about the American fight with Nazi Germany. Lambert served as a medic within North African and Sicilian campaigns prior to D-Day and recalls how he treated soldiers in combat, honoring the men whom he saw fall on and off the battlefield. By not naming them yet providing historical insight and character, he grants them honor. VERDICT Released in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day, this is possibly one last testament to those valiant soldiers who helped secured American victory.--Jacob Sherman, John Peace Lib., Univ. of Texas at San Antonio

Jim DeFeliceJim DeFelice

List of Maps	p. xi
Introduction: O-Hour+15	p. xxiii
Prologue Why We Remember	p. 1
1 Early Days	p. 5
2 Echoes of War	p. 17
3 Infamy and England	p. 39
4 Lighting the Torch	p. 53
5 My Life in My Hands	p. 83
6 Husky	p. 101
7 (Some) Rest for the Weary	p. 135
8 A Mighty Endeavor	p. 155
9 Beyond Despair	p. 181
10 Deliverance	p. 189
11 Breakout	p. 201
12 The Rewards of Peace	p. 225
Thirteen Legacy	p. 235
Collaborator's Note: Bringing Ray's Story to the Page	p. 239
Appendix A The Combat Medics of World War II	p. 245
Appendix B Battle Fatigue, Psychoneurosis, and PTSD in World War II	p. 251
Appendix C Further Reading	p. 255
Notes and Sources	p. 259
Acknowledgments	p. 271
Index	p. 275

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents