Customer Reviews

Messengers Of The Lost Battalion

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Extraordinary melding of perhaps three different stories: 1) the pre-combat misadventures of a highly-trained paratroopers with a high degree of contempt for authority; 2) a gripping firefight-by-firefight description of combat in the Cote D'Azure, the Maritime Alps, and the Bulge counteroffensive; and 3) a highly personal attempt to come to terms with the memory of the author's father, who had served the "lost battalion" as a messenger. The first story places the men of the 551st, in the frequency, degree, and originality of their misbehavior, in the company of some of the all-time "bad boy" units in history, such as Pappy Boyington's black sheep and the Civil War Louisiana Tigers. Hollywood's raffish military types have nothing on these guys. The second story, the detailed combat description, is so gripping that I had to give up reading the book on Metro; I kept missing my stops. It is part homage to the men, part vivid description founded on exhaustive research, and part indictment of the military bureaucracy and of bad decisions by individual commanders. The third, personal, story was for me, less accessible. Mr. Oraflea conveys his feelings with such intensity, and with such powerful writing, that I felt his pain all too intensely. It is the synthesis of these three stories-- and all of their substories -- that makes this such a distinctive work. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Oraflea.

A son's tribute to his father and the forgotten men who his father served with, during the bloody campaigns in Europe towards the end of WWII. This is a well-researched book which is made by the first hand accounts of the men who were there, from the monotony of Panama, to the terrifying accounts of life at the sharp end of war. This story is splendidly told in a straightforward manor, pulling no punches and blending the heroism and sheer courage of the soldiers who fought in a war that should never be forgotten. Yet this book is about a Battalion of men who have been forgotten by the very armed forces who they fought for and along side and paid their duties in blood. Of all the books I have read on airborne forces in WWII, only 'PARATROOPER' by Gerard Devlin briefly acknowledges that the 551 existed and took part in subsequent operations after the invasions of Normandy and the South of France. If you have an interest in reading Unit memorials and histories, then this is a book to add to your collection.

The story is Gregory Orfalea's search for who his father was a half-century ago. Many of us arrive at the time of our fathers' deaths and wonder what our fathers were really like. Greg began by looking up veterans of the 551st. Thus begins a haunting tale of a group of men who trained to the nth degree, fought the bloodiest battles, suffered unbelieveable losses and disappeared from the pages of history. The 551st attack on the last SS foothold west of the Salm River during the "Battle of the Bulge" compares with the charge of the "Light Brigade" at Balaklava, except that the 551st didn't have a poet to immortalize them. The Army simply sent the few survivors to four other airborne units and closed the book.

Read this book to get an idea of how bad war can be. After you finish it, go hug your father, if you are lucky enough to still have him, "buy" him a cup of coffee and get him to tell you "how it was" when he was young.

I just returned from a family reunion of three brothers who lost their 551st father to a postwar life of change, sorrow, and memories. We were reunited with the sister we never knew, of a father we shared. We brothers lost our father in 1952; our sister lost him in 1986, this nation lost him in 2002. With deep thanks of appreciation to all the members of the 551st family, from Missouri to Maryland, Florida to New York, we four children of the 551st thank you so very much for keeping the family and unbreakable loyalty that was wrought from the days of that odd formation of tropics-trained badasses and the crucible, unimaginable oddysee of terror, death by frost, and combat at the Bulge. The author has performed a compatibably honorable, right for his generation, task of searching out and recording these untold stories of brotherhood and true patriotism. The things that caused these men to come together, and to support, and ultimately love one another in ways that those who follow can only remotely imagine, these are the things that their families and their nation, must search out for themselves, individually. For each of us, as we try to uncover those facts, we will find pieces, torn and stained fragments of their lives, well worn; and, in that process, uncover pieces of our selves -common remnants of times and lives long past, and by the grace of god many still living, some in strength, some in frailty, all in unity. For those of us who live in their shadow, it is our honor, and it must be our duty to piece that quilt of tangible life and abstract emotion that does now and will make the fabric of our nation and our individual families sturdy and warm against the unknown challenges we shall all face, or have faced. I hope to meet this fine author and thank him for his most honorable service to us all. The story of his father's 551st and all those who were equal parts of it is a true record of the real greatest generation.
Honor, Airborne,
Mark Roberts LaPierre
on behalf of his father, Gordon I. Roberts, PFC, 551st PIB, and his entire family.

Some histories need to be written, and Gregory Orfalea did it for personal reasons and he produced a great book. Twenty years ago I met and got to know one of the survivors of the 551st PIR. He never mentioned anything about it's history or his experiences, so I never pushed the issue. At the time, the 551st was just another battalion who fought in WWII, my knowledge of that war was (and still is) limited. It would have been a travesty if these men had been forgotten. Thanks to Greg Orfalea, the record has been set straight.

I purchased this book, because of the I had been looking for informationm on the 551st. Parachute Infantry Battalion. As my uncle Carlo is mention,
in the book, as well aa a picture of him on the boxing team.

I found the book very interesting reading and well written, once I started I could not put the book down.

The only thing that concerns me is that the auther did mentioned Carlo was listed as missing in action, and found the following month, frozen to
death the snow. I do not know if he stayed with his friend who had a trip wire in his hands, and my Uncle had Rosary beads in his hand when the bodies were found. I would like some closure on this matter. if Carlo stayed with a buddy, or if he had been, shot.

If in fact hr stayed with his buddy and prayed for him, I would concider this above and beyond the call of duty, and this would mean that he should have been awareded some type of medel for his heroisim.

Any one who has anuy infoemation on this subject, I would appriciate knowing whae actually happened.

A short family history My Grandmother, had 15 children 5 girls and 10 boys
during the secongd world war se had 8 of her 10 boys in the service, 5 in the Army and 3 in the Navy, znd my grandfather joined the Merchant Marines and made 7 crossing on the Alantic ocean.

Three of her Sons were in the European theater,in WWII Carlo was tn the 551st. Parachute Infantry Battalion, Ernest eas in the 1st indfantry division,
and Walter was in the 45th Infantry Division, Richard who was the youngest son joined the 82nd Airborne, but the war was over before he could be shipped to Euorpe.

John Intinarelli

This is an incredible book, and a superlative history of the 551rst. I found the beginning to be a bit slow, but that was only the beginning. As I got further and further into the book it got better and better. From the night jump to the maritime alps, and to the attack on Rochlinval. This book will also make your blood boil at the incredible injustice done to these heroic soldiers, by the Army and the government.

While helping a friend clean the house of his father who had recently passed, I came across this book and learned that my friend's father had served in the 551st, and was mentioned in the book. It is a very engrossing story, a history retold by the heroes who survived. So many soldiers were killed that the unit was disbanded and absorbed by other units leaving no-one to record their horrible and heroic experiences. Bob Shultz of Charleston West Virginia, actually arrived in Europe with Malaria caught from long training in Panama. The book recounts how on a reunion trip, he parachuted in Europe again at the age of 80, and was asked jokingly to pay for broken roof tiles by a French homeowner who's home he landed on during the war. When Bob Schultz of Charleston got shot at the battle of the buldge, it was just another battle to this battle hardened group of men, and his first thought was remove the women's underwear he was wearing to avoid shocking the medics; underwear which had been given to him by a local women to help keep warm in the severe conditions.

Wow, so my uncle turns out to be a war criminal. Who would have thunk it? No wonder he turned into a rip-roaring alcoholic later in life.

I was looking up some info on my uncle. It led me to this book.

I heard his stories when I was growing up, how he captured a German unit because he could understand German and used that to his advantage.

From this book I learned that he had: 1) a penchant for breaking his own comrades' legs; 2) killed 30+ unarmed German prisoners of war, under the pretense of "they were trying to escape" (with him being the only witness); 3) shot a German teenager for being a smart-aleck.

Are these accurate stories? I wasn't there.

But I can verify facts in this book, mentioned about him, that I do know, that are 100% accurate. And I can find nothing in the book that is inaccurate, based on what I do know about him.

So I'm pretty sure this book is true. Plus, there are plenty of footnotes that lead credence to the veracity of this book.

Being that there are minimal published works on the 551st, this book certainly fills the gap that had been existent for some time. I was concerned before purchasing this book, (knowing what had happened to the 551st, and seeing it was written by a GOYA's son) that it would be emphasize more bitterness and betrayal, rather than facts. Don't get me wrong, these men had every darn right to be bitter, I just was hoping for some combat actions to be detailed to get a better feel for their time on the lines. This hope was completely fulfilled!! While there will be moments of personal reflection, as well as bitterness and anger, Gregory Orfalea did a great job, I felt, of covering the 551st from recruitment, through training, embarkation to the ETO, combat jump and front line action. A great book and I highly recommend to any WWII enthusiast or historian.