A soldier's diary

By Alfred DiGiacomo

Subjects: World War, 1939-1945, American Personal narratives, United States, Diaries, Telephone operators, United States. Army. Signal Battalion, 926th, Regimental histories, History, Campaigns

Description: Back Cover: Sergeant Alfred DiGiacomo a telephone operator for the Ninth Tactical Air Command recieved a call on the switchboard during Operation Cobra in Normandy. The voice on the phone said, "This is General Bradley, I would like to speak to General Quesada." "Sorry Sir, His line is busy" was my reply. "This is urgent" was the reply. -- This one phone call prevented further casualties and save the lives of an unknown number of infantry men from the friendly fire from above. The author kept a daily diary of his three years in the Army. It is through this journal and family correspondence, that details of lthe life of a G.I. - The training, the routine duties, the drama of war, the release provided by passes and dates.. The challanges of living with the threat of death are revealed. Through this personal narrative, key moments of the War are presented: The London Mini Blitz, the Normandy beachhead, the liberation of Paris and Brusselels, the Battle of the Bulge, the Buzz Boombs over Liege and the one that struck his quarters, and the horrors of Buchenwald Concetration Camp. It also describes the trials o f an ocean voyage on the troop ship Queen Mary in October 1943 when he shipped to England and the tramp steamer in October 1945 when he returned home.