Arn’s War

Memoirs of a World War II Infantryman, 1940-1946

by Edward C. Arn
Edited by Jerome Mushkat

Pages: 288

Size: 5.5 x 9
Series: Ohio History and Culture

Description

This memoir of World War II, written by Edward C. Arn, an infantry captain who served in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, takes readers on a wartime journey in the European Theater of Operations through a clear and honest account of combat from the viewpoint of a sensitive and acute “civilian in uniform.” Arn entered combat and proved his worth in the hedgerows of Normandy, the Battle of Mortain, the push through northern France and the Netherlands, the Battle of the Bulge, the Ardennes Campaign, and the invasion of the German heartland to the Elbe River. During his eleven months on the front lines, Arn underwent a transformation from an apprehensive novice into a battle-tested veteran. Arn writes in a straightforward and engaging manner that avoids false sentimentality or romanticism. Instead, he gives readers keen insights into the daily life of soldiers locked in gruesome events far beyond their experience and describes how it feels to be under fire, to suffer a wound, to agonize over the deaths of friends, to endure true suffering, to sacrifice, and to survive. Edited and annotated by Jerome Mushkat, this memoir is an exceptional account of a man who came of age during the World War II generation.

About the authors

Edward C. Arn, a highly decorated infantry captain, received the Silver Star with Cluster; Purple Heart with Cluster; Bronze Star; Combat Infantry Badge; World War II Victory Medal; American Campaign Medal; Army of Occupation, World War II, Germany; Good Conduct Badge; and European Theater of Operations Campaign Badge with five Clusters. He was part of the Army of the United States, Fox Company, 119th Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. After the war, he became an active member in multiple veterans’ organizations and a much sought-after figure in local affairs. His community and state honored him in a number of ways, most notably by inducting him into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 2003. He lives with Patricia, his wife of over 57 years, in Wooster, Ohio. He has six children and sixteen grandchildren.

Jerome Mushkat is author and editor of several books, including A Citizen-Soldier’s Civil War: The Letters of Brevet Major General Alvin C. Voris. He is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Akron.

Additional information

Series

Ohio History and Culture

Author(s)

Edward Arn, Jerome Mushkat

Pub date

12/30/2005

keywords

memoir; World War II; greatest generation; ohio

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