Death and Life in the Big Red One

JAMES R. SMITHER, professor of history, established the Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project in 2006, which records and archives oral history interviews with US military veterans, civilians, and foreign nationals. He is the editor of A Surgeon's Civil War: The Letters and Diary of Daniel M. Holt, MD.

"Joe originally wrote this memoir in the 1970s, and it has been skillfully edited to give the reader a clear impression of what the author experienced during the war. It is one of the most in-depth and detailed memoirs of an infantryman in the Big Red One, particularly an enlisted soldier. The book is enjoyable and informative."--Warfare History Network "[Olexa] provides the Holy Grail of insight into what really happens at the front. Appropriately, he depicts what a combat infantryman cares about--clean weapons, digging in, care of his men, food, and the Almighty--not necessarily in that order. . . . [It] is a worthy read for its insights."--On Point, the Journal of Army History "The reader will become close to the author, recognizing his kindness and compassion, and sharing his sadness over his fellow soldiers killed in the war. . . . Death and Life in the Big Red One is an exceptional firsthand account. The author in a readable fashion describes the life of an infantryman in crucial World War II battles. His memoirs tell of military life and combat over four years in contrast to many firsthand accounts that tell of just one battle or a more limited time."--Journal of America's Military Past "[I]t has been skillfully edited to give the reader a clear impression of what the author experienced during the war. It is one of the most in-depth and detailed memoirs of an infantryman in the Big Red One, particularly an enlisted soldier. The book is enjoyable and informative."--World War II History "This is an excellent in-depth account of infantry combat in World War II. Smither has done a fabulous job of cross-checking the author's manuscript with archival and secondary sources. This book should have a wide readership as it would appeal to lay readers interested in a story of combat at the sharp end during World War II."--Peter R. Mansoor, author of The GI Offensive in Europe: The Triumph of American Infantry Divisions "Death and Life in the Big Red One is a fascinating, well written, illuminating, and expertly edited memoir. Olexa's unit was famous and has a following. This book will appeal to WWII scholars and also a popular audience of readers who enjoy veterans' memoirs."--John C. McManus, author of The Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day, The Big Red One at Omaha Beach "Smither expertly weaves together the battlefield experiences of Joe Olexa, a combat infantryman in the 1st Infantry Division who was with the Big Red One through North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and into Germany. It is a perceptive study of the combat effectiveness of the American citizen-soldier as well as an analysis of the adaptability, ingenuity, and bravery of NCO leadership at the battalion level and below. This work provides a valuable supplement to Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed. What a terrific account of WWII combat!"--Ronald Marcello, author of Small Town America in World War II and editor of Remembering Pearl Harbor