Doctor Danger Forward: A World War II Memoir of a Combat Medical Aidman, First Infantry Division [Paperback]

Allen N. Towne (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786406615 | ISBN-13: 978-0786406616 | Publication Date: December 1999 | Edition: 1

As a combat medical aidman of Company B, 1st Medical Battalion, First Infantry Division, Allen N. Towne experienced some of the pivotal events of World War II. "Doctor B," as his unit was known, was attached to the 18th Regimental Combat Team and moved with them, providing continuous close medical support. Covering both little-known engagements, and such historic moments as the campaign in Sicily and the D Day landings at Omaha Beach, this book is both a memoir and a history of one of the war’s most impressive units. The text is based on both official "morning reports" and the author’s personal notes, providing accuracy as well as human insight. In Doctor Danger Forward ("danger forward" was the code name of the First Division headquarters), Towne, who received the Bronze Star and Oak Leaf Cluster for his heroism at Omaha Beach and Normandy, chronicles events both epic and intimate, profoundly serious as well as humorous. There are numerous maps and photographs, including many taken by the author.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This excellent memoir provides much detail about World War II from a perspective not usually found in combat accounts." -- Bridgehead Sentinel

"Very revealing...a treasure." -- Walter D. Ehlers, Medal of Honor Recipient, First Infantry Division

About the Author

A retired engineer and businessman Allen N. Towne has received three U.S. patents, authored many technical papers, and taught at the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University. He lives in Midlothian, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub; 1 edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786406615
• ISBN-13: 978-0786406616
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding my father, September 29, 2000

By 

Mary C. Zingerella (Shortsville, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Danger Forward: A World War II Memoir of a Combat Medical Aidman, First Infantry Division (Paperback)

My father served with the author and is in a few of the pictures and anecdotes. I have a greater understanding and appreciation of what war is all about. Dad did not want to talk about what he saw and experienced when he was alive. He shared his scrapbooks on a few occasions, dodging some questions that were too close to him.

When Dad died, I sent a letter to "the outfit" as he referred to the men with whom he served. I had some wonderful letters and calls from men who had shared a part of his life that I never knew. But, I now know better from reading this book, the courage and determination that these men showed just to survive the day to day part of the war. The horrors that these men shared needed to be buried until someone could put them into a context for the rest of us to truly understand and appreciate them. The author has done that in a vivid, yet compassionate manner. Everyone needs to read this book. Thank you, Mr. Towne for revealing this part of the war to the rest of us.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DOCTOR DANGER FORWARD, March 19, 2000

By 

Patricia Sewell (Jonesboro, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Danger Forward: A World War II Memoir of a Combat Medical Aidman, First Infantry Division (Paperback)

If you want to learn what it was really like fighting to save lives with the U.S. Medical Corps in World War II, give this newly released personal account by Allen N. Towne a try. Mr. Towne relates his five years'service as a frontline medic with the First Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, Omaha Beach, as well as France, Belgium, and Germany. He carries you along with him as a former college student who finds himself in the thick of some of the war's bloodiest battles. You will find it difficult not to read it straight through in one sitting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Personal Saga, March 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Doctor Danger Forward: A World War II Memoir of a Combat Medical Aidman, First Infantry Division (Paperback)

I thought this book captured the essence of the tumult of three years of combat. I was spellbound by the way relationships developed and deepened. The author raised the question of why men respond so differently to the trauma of combat and war. A well-written story.