Customer Reviews

JUMP: INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW: The War Memories of Dwayne Burns Communications Sergeant-508th P.I.R.

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An excellent view of life on the frontlines from the perspective of a foxhole. I have read many personal accounts from combat soldiers and "Jump" is one of the best. Mr. Burns really takes the reader into the foxholes with him. At times the book is both edge of one's seat exciting and very poignant. One gets a true sense of the terror a soldier experiences while undergoing an artillery barrage, as well as moments of humor on the front lines. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the life of a combat soldier.

OK! This is one man's story about the "Oh Eight" the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (P.I.R.), 2nd Bn, Fox Co. Mr Burns jumped into France, Operation Neptune (D-Day) and Market-Garden (Holland) two jump stars earned the hard way. There are a lot of "soldiers stories" in the book, being with your buddies, goofing off, military life, as well as the stories about combat. Books like these put a human face on anonymous mens faces of black and white photos taken 60+ years ago. It shows they were pretty much the same as most young men, full of life and hopes and dreams, except their lives were forged in the fires of the Depression. It is a good read and a page turner, there are "flashback" type parts of the book, that may disagree with some readers. But I was most humbled and impressed by his story and the stories of other men I have met, ironically from Easy Co. 508th PIR, Mr Burns' sister Co to his own Fox Co. I am glad some of these men have told their story, because too many never have or got the chance to live long enough to. Thier story is told by rows of silent crosses in France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Germany, and a thousand other lonely places where American boys fought and died. Read this book if you want to know the story of one man's journey through a pivotal time in human history.

I highly recommend this book. Dwayne Burns brings to life his memories from elite training as a paratrooper to his feelings and emotions of actually going into combat. Along the way, he shares his personal life stories and how all of this shaped the person he was to became. The incredible bond that paratroopers have which started in their training and lasts to this day is very inspiring. Reading this book reinforced my genuine thanks to these men that "Jumped Into the Valley of the Shadow" along with the rest of the "Greatest Generation" that helped bring peace back to this world in the uncertain time of WWII.

This book starts out with the author staring out the open door of a C-47 on the night of June 5, 1944 and realizing that it was now too late to join the motor pool or become a cook. Like a lot of other youngsters, when he was drafted into the Army he decided that he wanted to be with America's best, and that was the paratroopers.

I was glad to see this boook. There has been a lot written about the 101st in recent years and their defense at Bastogne including 'Band of Brothers,' the movie 'Battleground' and a bunch more. Much less well known is the action of the 82nd to hold the north shoulder and prevent the Germans from having more roads to use for their advance. Burns was there. He doesn't tell the big picture - there are a lot of books on the Battle of the Bulge. He tells his story from the bottom side. It looked different from a foxhole.

The book is told in the form of a bunch of little stories, not a day by day diary. This makes it much more interesting, and I recommend it highly.

After the world wide attention for the 101st this is a welcome addition to airborne warfare in WWII

This is a very well written book b y a man who was there. Telling the personal story of Leland Burns' travels thru F Co of the 508PIR, Jump Into the Valley of the Shadow is a fine read. Factual and well thought out, it goes thru the gritty days of fighting that only a man who has lived thru it can tell you. But it also goes over the softer, more human side of his time overseas in an in-depth and honest way.
From his personal accounts of his courtship with his wife, to his time in England with both new and old friends, the book is made better by the fact that these are all REAL people that actually existed (and in many cases are still living) that makes this a truly special book to have.

Burns chose to join the airborne because he wanted to serve with the best. He fought in Normandy, Market Garden and the Bulge and remarkably, at the end of the war, he was one of only 12 pre-Normandy members still with the company and the only one to have not suffered wounds. Though trained as a machine gunner, he spends most of his war as a radioman. He fights and kills but not always with great detail. His participation in Normandy for instance is a little hard to follow. It does though convey the swirling, confusing nature of much of the fighting there. He writes quite a bit on other men in his unit, particularly the officers he admired.

While he kicks off with events leading up to Normandy, Burns, for a large portion of the book alternates between current happenings as a soldier and flashbacks to earlier events. This is primarily to give appropriate background to meeting people and the forming of his attitudes. It was a little distracting at times but overall it was useful device to inform the reader of things as they became relevant.

This is a straightforward account of a paratrooper who did his duty and had a good share of luck. I really liked the title. It is a tweaking of the Bible passage and it nicely combines his religious faith and the very dire time he experienced in the bloody European campaign. I also liked the way he revealed his long distance relationship with his post-war wife. The war though is his focus. There are some graphic passages at times and it conveys both the excitement as well as the harshness of war. Overall I give it 3 ½ stars. See my list for where it sits amongst the many other Airborne memoirs I have read.

This is a well written and moving account of one soldiers experience in WWII. The story comes to life through a personal perspective with big picture view that is not often seen. Beyond the war it gives huge insight into a time period of this country and the world. The experiences and determination of this soldier will leave you thinking and reflecting on many aspects of life.