THE DEAD AND THOSE ABOUT TO DIE: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach

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A white-knuckle account of the 1st Infantry Division's harrowing D-Day assault on the eastern sector of Omaha Beach. As the men of the Big Red One hit the beach on June 6, 1944, courageous heroes emerged: men such as Sergeant Raymond Strojny, who grabbed a bazooka and engaged in a death duel with a fortified German antitank gun; T/5 Joe Pinder, a former minor-league pitcher who braved enemy fire to save a vital radio; Lieutenant John Spalding, a former sportswriter, and Sergeant Phil Streczyk, a truck driver, who together demolished a German strong point overlooking Easy Red, where hundreds of Americans had landed.

Covers the Gap Assault Team engineers who dealt with the extensive mines and obstacles, suffering nearly 50% casualties; highlights officers such as Brigadier General Willard Wyman and Colonel George Taylor, who led the way to victory; and punctures scores of myths surrounding this long-misunderstood battle.