Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II [Hardcover]

Donald V. Bennett (Author), William R. Forstchen (Introduction), Donald Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tom Doherty Associates Books | Publication Date: June 1, 2003

What the bestsellers Flags of Our Fathers was to Iwo Jima and Duty to the mission of the Enola Gay, Honor Untarnished is to the World War II tour of duty of young graduate of a West Point.

Whether it was fighting Rommel's fierce Afrika Korps hitting the beaches of Normandy on D Day, surviving the Battle of the Bulge, or just being in the next room during the infamous "slapping incident" of Blood-n-Guts General George Patton, Donald Bennett experienced the fiery crucible of World War II and survived to tell about it.

As a recent graduate of West Point, First Lieutenant Bennett was given the charge of training inexperienced and scared recruits, and leading them into battle against the Axis forces. From orientation at Fort Sill, Oklahoma through the fiercest battles of the war right up to the liberation of the death camps and our complicit confrontation with the Soviet Union over Eastern Europe, Don Bennett, not yet thirty, preserved the honor of the corps, and the liberty of the free world.

Lindbergh, Patton, Bradley, and Eisenhower are just names in a history book to most-but to Don Bennett they were personal acquaintances.

This is the story of D Day, the Bulge, and the rest of the war. It differs from many recent books on similar events ... because Don Bennett was actually there!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

General Donald V. Bennett (retired), a graduate and former commandant of West Point, won the Distinguished Service Cross and two Purple Hearts for his service in World War II. He is retired and lives in Montreat, North Carolina, where he occasionally lectures on "the Greatest Generation."

Dr. William R. Forstchen is Professor of History at Montreat College, author of the Lost Regiment series, and We Look like Men of War and coauthor (with Newt Gingrich) of 1945 and a new Civil War alternate history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765306573
• ISBN-13: 978-0765306579
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World W, September 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II (Hardcover)

Bennett who served with the 58th and 62nd Mobile Artillery Battalions US Army takes the reader from his childhood to Westpoint and then through his service in North Africa, Sicily and Europe. I enjoyed the honesty with which Bennett pointed out both the successes and failures of himself and the US Army during the time he was in the service. He also explains how the US Army had many lessons to learn during the course of the war. His discriptions of the carnage following the Kasserine Pass battle and the US Soldiers routed during the initial phase of the Battle of the Bulge are noteworthy. He also describes how the United States Army and the individual US soldier meet the challenge of the German Armed Forces and ultimately prevailed. The book describes the torment that two families felt when the wrong family is notified of the death of a service member. I liked the book coming from someone who was there from the early days of North Africa until the end of the war and how he expains the use or missuse of the mobile self-propelled M7 Priest artillery units he was assigned to. The battles are seen from the view point of this young artillery commander and should be taken in context with more detailed books that cover each individual battle. An example of this is the loss of personnel and vehicles during the Sicily campaign. When reading the book you get the impression that all the casualties were caused by the Germans & Italians. If you read other accounts of the action in books such as The Battle for Sicily by Mitcham he details how some of these casualties were caused by the enemy and some by a mistaken attack by US A-36 aircraft.

Finally I have two minor complaints against the publisher:

1: Maps of North Africa, Sicily, Omaha Beach and the push into Europe would have helped in following the story. No Maps are included in the book.

2: Why do you have a picture of US Marines assaulting a beach on the cover? Would it be that hard to find a picture of a US Army M7 Priest self-propelled gun in action.

A great read written by someone who was there.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More colonel and less general, November 14, 2003

By 

Richard T. Jones - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II (Hardcover)

I have read many books on WWII from many perspectives and have been to visit the D-Day beaches four times. I cannot visit the American graves in Normandy without being moved. Twice I have had the experience of hearing taps played near Omaha Beach. I have the utmost respect for all those who fought and died. I had high expectations for the book. My problem is that the book never finds its voice. At times it is the four star general writing with his perspective of high and at other times it is the young colonel leading his men. I wanted to hear more from this man. Just as he starts to share, the general leaps in and throws off the narrative. Let the colonel talk about his artillery missions and show me more of how his experience was different. (A few photos and maps would be nice). If the general needs to talk, give him a separate chapter at the end of the book. We hear from the privates and generals but not the majors and colonels. Their voices could add to the history. I wish the colonel would have spoken for them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Account, March 1, 2005

By 

Paul D. Bacon "perzz" (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this first hand account of General Bennett's experiences. I have read this type of book extensively, and I put this very close to the top of my list.

I especially enjoyed his comments about how people behaved and thought during this climatic time in our history. His feelings about missing his wife, and how he felt when his first troopers died, and what that must have meant to the families added a real human touch. I enjoyed his description of train rides, gas rationing, and many other small points that really gave me a feel for what it was like for not just soldiers, but also civilians, both American and Foreign.

I agree, it would have been really nice to have some pictures of what his vehicles looked like and some maps. But, I would also have enjoyed a picture of his wife whom he obviously loved deeply. A picture of Fort Knox, or Fort Sill during training.

Those would really have added value to this book, but it certainly stands out without them too. My thanks to General Bennett for sharing his story, and not just the combat.

Well done!!