Customer Reviews

SAFELY REST

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I bought this book expecting, from the information on the front cover, to read a lot about the retreival of soldier's remains, transporting those remains, and their reinternment. Unfortunately, over 2/3rds of the book follows one father's quest to find his son's remains. The story of Dr. Frank's search for his son is somewhat fascinating, and many readers may find it of interest. If you purchase the book knowing that it deals primarily with one soldier, then it is a good read, but don't buy the book if you are expecting a lot of details on the graves registration service and their work.

This book revolves around a devoted father's obsession to find answers to his son's MIA turned to KIA status on a bombing mission to Polesti in WW 2. Intertwined in the story is a backdrop of Graves Registration duties during the war and the subsequent decisions made as to missing persons. Another major story line is the father's on going written battles with the War Department as to the final classification to his son's status and finding his remains. Not a happy story.

This is a very different kind of WWII story. Author David Colley tells us why these men were part of "The Greatest Generation." These heroes left their homes and families, some willing, some not, to go off and fight a war to save the world from two enemies dedicated to the destruction of everything that these men believed in. However, Colley also shows us that there were other members of "The Greatest Generation." The fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, wives, children, and fiancées of those who were killed during the war, for as he shows, these were the people who were left to carry and to rebuild shattered lives. He does this very poignantly by citing many examples including the one used throughout the book, the story of Red Franks, an airman who was killed during the first raid over Ploesti. This is a book that had to be written and one that has to be read by anyone interested in WWII. I highly recommend it.