To D-Day and Back Adventures with the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and Life as a World War II POW a Memoir

"If further evidence is needed to back up Tom Brokaw's selection of 'The Greatest Generation,' Bob Bearden's rich and candid memoir supplies it-a well written saga of a young man's growth and leadership while overcoming more than his share of the tremendous challenges facing the soldiers who defend our freedom." -Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker, U.S. Army (Ret.) "Bob Bearden's incredible story takes the reader on a journey which will evoke all of the human emotions-laughter, sorrow, horror, joy, excitement, terror, and wonder. From his terrifying days of mortal combat in Normandy, to his capture and internment, his daily struggle for survival in POW camps, and his frightening liberation at the hands of the Red Army-all reveal how his tough, hardscrabble youth in Depression-era America and his training as a paratrooper gave him the resourcefulness and grim determination to survive. Bearden's insights into daily life in the army and as a POW make this book a must-have addition to the collections of those interested in World War II history. I highly recommend this book." -Phil Nordyke, author, All American, All the Wayand Four Stars of Valor "An amazing saga of a trooper's experience of combat in Normandy and his life as a POW in German stalags. Bearden's unique tale recounts how he was violently liberated by the Russians, then traveled alone through war-ravaged Poland only to end up a POW in Russia again. His journey and eventual escape to Allied control kept me up reading till 2 a.m." -Col. Spencer F. Wurst, U.S. Army (Ret.), author, Descending from the Clouds: A Memoir of Combat in the 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Division "I've known Bob Bearden, man and boy, for nearly seventy years, and I was not surprised at the captivating quality of his story. This epic tale of his drop into Normandy on June 6, 1944, and its chilling aftermath throbs with excitement and holds our attention transfixed." -Jim Wright, Former Speaker,

[read more]