Command Of Honor

H. Paul Jeffers

This book is the inspiring true story of the greatest combat commander of World War II. General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr., was an American military giant: tough, resourceful, and devoted to the men under his command. But unlike the more flamboyant high-ranking European field commanders of the time, he was neither arrogant nor in pursuit of personal glory. Rather, he was known to all as a loyal, humble man who led his troops from the front and fought every enemy with a tenacity that made him one of the most respected and revered commanders in the U.S. Army. In Command of Honor, author H. Paul Jeffers chronicles the life of an American hero. As a boy, Truscott grew up hearing stories from veterans of the Indian wars. So when the United States entered World War I, the eager young man volunteered as an officer in the cavalry corps, beginning a career of service to his country that would span the next 40 years. But it was in World War II that he would earn a reputation as a soldier's soldier. After forming the first American commando units -- which would eventually become known as the Rangers -- Truscott commanded forces from the deserts of North Africa, to the taking of Sicily, the liberation of Italy and France, and the final push into Nazi Germany, all of which he accomplished with a speed and drive that made his Third Infantry Division the pride of the Seventh Army. For the first time, the personal life of Truscott is revealed: his ramshackle childhood in Texas and Oklahoma, his family history, and his peacetime duties. But this is above all the story of service and sacrifice by a man who lived for duty, honor, and courage -- a man who would become a legend in the annals of World War II. - Jacket flap.