Infantry Rifleman: World War II Reflections of Thomas W. Smith, 94th Infantry Division, General Patton's Third Army

With casualties exceeding fifty million people and fighting that spanned six continents and all the world's oceans, World War II has been the subject of hundreds of books and movies. Unlike the many writings and narrations of military officers and top brass, however, Infantry Rifleman is a biography of a typical American GI. TW Smith volunteered to serve as a private in the Army infantry on the front lines of the Western Front during a critical time in our nation's history. Fighting in General Patton's Third Army, TW served his country with an M-1 rifle and a bayonet, fighting in small towns across France and Germany, including through the snow, mud and trenches of the bloody Battle of the Bulge. Following extraordinary bloodshed and adversity and the loss of many of his best friends, TW's story is perhaps equally remarkable for its post-war return to a productive, normal life and career, including college and law school on the GI Bill, raising five children, and retiring from the FBI. With many of his fellow World War II veterans passing on, Infantry Rifleman is TW's opportunity to remember his fellow GIs and preserve for future generations his experiences on the front lines of this epic war. TW's story reflects the quiet courage, tenacity and humility of a member of America's greatest generation, the collective efforts and sacrifice of which saved the freedom of our nation and world.