Customer Reviews

The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima

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Afber purchasing many books on Medal Of Honor holders and finding nothing written about George Wahlen, I am extremely joyed that his life's story has been committed to print. The generations of people born after "The Greatest Generation" will now have a history of the men and women who won WW II. Mr. Wahlen had a deep fear that he would not be able to perform his duties as a Navy Medic assigned to the Marine Corps and save his buddies lives. His refusal to be evacuated off Iwo Jima after each of 2 times he was wounded because he felt he was still mission capable and the lives of his buddies depended on him. Only after his 3rd wound and breaking his leg, and committing the heroic action of dragging himself to a wounded marine on the battle field, under fire, administering aid, and bringing the wounded man back to the safety of friendly forces did he allow himself to be evacuated. He felt he "Was just doing his job...." Mr. Wahlen is to be held in the highest esteem for his service to his Marine buddies, the Navy, and the USA. This book is a "Must Read" to understand the committment he had made to himself and his buddies.

George E. Wahlen is a bonafide American hero. This book documents his life, especially his heroic actions as a Navy Corpsman assigned to support a platoon of Marines in the horrendous battle for the strategically important island of Iwo Jima in WWII. George served as a civil servant in the Army Air Corps, As a Navy Corpsman with the Marines, as an Army enlisted man and officer in Korea and Vietnam. After retirement in 1969 from the Army, he served as a civil servant with the Veterans Administration.

The author has chronicled George's modesty and his life, focusing especially on his training and battle actions, where he spent two weeks under heavy enemy fire while tending to his Marines' wounds and just holding and comforting those who were breathing their last. He was wounded multiple times but refused to be evacuated. Even when his leg was broken, he gave himself morphine and crawled 50 yards in front of friendly lines to bring back another wounded Marine. Senators Dole and Hatch's eloquent words demonstrate the degree of honor attributed to this quiet man. The author uses a matter of fact style that both chronicles and explains the forces and context which shaped George's life and actions. Military history buffs and those interested in Americans who have especially meaningful lives will love this book. We rated it five hearts.

Heartland Reviews
http://www.heartlandreviews.com/NonFiction.html

With just a small note in the Epilogue, it was noted that George E. Wahlen is the "Quintessential American Veteran." Few people may notice (see page 207... because not everyone reads the epilogue) where it states that Mr. Wahlen served tours of duty in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He also served all four branches of the military (He worked as an aircraft mechanic for the Army Air Force, was drafted into the Navy and became a corpsman, volunteered for combat with the Marines, and after WWII, re-enlisted in the Army and retired as a Major), He survived Iwo Jima, what many agree is the greatest battle of the modern era. (It was the only battle of WWII where the U.S. suffered more casualties than the enemy). To top it off, he is the recipient two Purple Hearts, and the Medal of Honor, the highest award this country can bestow on any American. Could any veteran make such a claim? I doubt it.

This book is well done and compelling. I read it in 17 hours straight, and just couldn't put it down. It is well illustrated with many unique archival photographs, many that I've never seen in any other battle account. I highly recommend it!

George E. Wahlen was born in Utah on August 8, 1924. By February, 1945, George would be many miles from his beloved family and friends. He was stationed on a remote volcanic island in the Western Pacific. In the two weeks that George was on the island, he would distinguish himself many times and earn the respect of his fellow men. The name of the island was Iwo Jima, and George served as a Marine combat medic.

In his younger days, George dreamed of becoming an aircraft mechanic, but his father refused to let him enlist in the Army. So, George volunteered to be drafted. He was sent to California for basic training, where he was trained as a medic. Despite his love of repairing airplanes, he quickly adjusted to his new role as a medic and he became proficient in his new job.

As time passed, George's unit continued to train for combat, and the training became more and more difficult. Eventually, George's unit was sent to the island of Guam to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima. George's unit landed on D-Day, which was February 19, 1945. For the next two weeks, George spent his time tending to wounded Marines, all the while ignoring his own safety. He faced numerous Japanese mortar attacks, banzai charges, and infantry raids, but he never ignored the call of a wounded comrade. During one action, while wounded himself, he stayed in the field of fire for over twenty minutes tending to wounded Marines. During this time, he managed to save fourteen men who might otherwise have died. Another time, again while wounded, he crawled on his stomach for over fifty yards to drag a wounded Marine to safety. These selfless acts of bravery quickly earned George the respect of his fellow men. His superiors took note of his actions as well, for on September 14, 1945, George received the Navy Cross and the Gold Star. Then on October 5, 1945, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman.

George didn't retire from the armed forces after receiving his awards. Instead, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He retired from military service on August 11, 1969. Not many servicemen served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. George E. Wahlen did.

As a fan of World War II history, and especially the battle of Iwo Jima, I was very impressed with this book. I have always enjoyed reading about the lives of militaty personnel, and this book does a remarkable job in describing the heroics of one of the numerous individuals who won the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima. Author Gary W. Toyn writes with a style that places the reader at the forefront of the battle with George as he's tending to his wounded comrades. The battle is vividly brought to life throughout the pages of the book, and I learned some things about the battle that I previously didn't know.

I recommend this book very highly. This fine biography of George E. Wahlen embellishes the epitaph of Iwo Jima; uncommon valor was a common virtue. George Wahlen upheld the code of the United States Marines to the fullest, and his life serves as an example to future generations of Marines.

Though we are now in an era when many are either ambivalant or even hostile toward those who put their lives on the line every day for the safety of the American people, Gary Toyn reminds us of another time when men willingly sacrificed for their country. In his book, "The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle of Iwo Jima" the reader is swept into the life of Medal of Honor recipient George E. Wahlen--an unassuming Utah farm boy caught up in the throes of warfare in a vital time during the Pacific War. Not only does Toyn detail the amazing acts perfomed in the line of duty by Wahlen, he also includes memories, stories, photographs, and anecdotes of buddies, shipmates, marines, and officers who were there and saw what happened.

This book is a great read, full of interesting detail of the Pacific war and facinating information about the life of one man who just did his job under horrendous circumstances. Because of the subject matter, the story can be disturbing at times; but it is because of the nature of the subject matter and its relevance to current world issues that makes this an important work for those who only see the "video-game" side of war.

George Wahlen's life was exemplary. He was just a regular guy who had a job who wasn't going to let his buddies down. He knew they were counting on him. Inspirational and timely.

The Quiet Hero is a down to earth written story about a down to earth good guy. The author has not followed a traditional war story format, in my view at least. It is easy to read.

With a foreword by Senator Bob Dole and an introduction by Senator Orrin Hatch, The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima is the true story of how navy corpsman George E. Wahlen saved countless lives during the battle of Iwo Jima 60 years ago, and miraculously survived against all odds. Written by journalist and former contract employee of the Defense Department Gary Toyn, The Quiet Hero is a highly respectful survey of the terrible hardships endured by "the greatest generation" and one man whose unsurpassed bravery stands testimony to what America's armed services are capable of, then and now. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this stirring account, which draws heavily upon the testimony of witnesses among other meticulously researched sources.

The Navy Corpsmen are some of the true un-sung heroes of the war in the Pacific. Where the Marines were the life takers-trained with one specific job-killing the enemy, the Corpsmen were the life savers-trained specifically to save lives in the fray of battle. George Wahlen is a shining example of many WW2 Navy Corpsmen who were simply doing their job-saving their fellow Marines! "The Quite Hero" gives the reader a compelling daily account of the hells of combat on Iwo Jima, 1945-one of the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history".
Harlan Glenn, Author/Historian/Technical Advisor -
www.Harlans-Heroes.com

This is an extremely easy read. I could not put it down. The amazing thing about it is how men like George Wahlen performed so heroically under such horiffic conditions.

These men (boys really) served their country with distinction, then came home and put their medals away in a drawer or a box somewhere never thinking they were heros.

It is hard to imagine what men like George Wahlen endured during battles like Iwo Jima, words on a page can't do it justice. I am glad he choose to tell his story.

The book tells the story of a Hospital Corpsman who was thrust into the bloodiest battle in the Pacific. It was well written and really explained the horrors of what a Navy Corpsman has to go through to do his job. To keep as many Marines at as many guns for as long as possible. Armed with only a 45 and his vast ability to operate under extreme fire and his limited medical skills Pharmacist Mate Second Class George E. Wahlen shows us readers in the highest way possible what it means to be a US Navy Corpsman! Warning! Once you pick up this book you won't be able to put it down!