My name is Dale Blichmann. I am a friend of Byron Reburn (C Company, 394th) whom I have known since our Sophmore year in high school. He has spoken often ot his experiences in the 99th, and he was a patient listener to my own in the Pacific. Understandably, when he learned that a book was being written about the 99th, he was quite excited about it and mentioned it often.
Now it has been written; and, better yet, published. And I, too, have read it. The last thing he wrote about it is “I think his book qualifies as a classic- Not of an age, but for all time.”
Reburn wouldn’t be Reburn if he did ask me to write him what I thought about it. And so I have. In addition to some nine pages of “notes” and a memory or two, I send him the following :
Byron,
Here’s my thinking on ONCE UPON A TIME IN WAR :
Mention the word ‘classic’ and many will find themselves thinking of Twain’s HUCK FINN, or Melville’s MOBY DICK, or Dostoevski’s THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV, or Thoreau’s WALDEN, or Undset’s KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTER.
Asked if they could name a classic that treated of war, a few might reply ‘WAR AND PEACE” – though quickly adding that they “never read it.” One might even reply” ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.” And he would be right.
Actually up untill now there have been only four books about war that, in my opinion, merit being called a “classic” : two of them are German – the just mentioned ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, and by the same author A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO DIE. The two by Americans are THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE and ONCE AN EAGLE. Now there is a third one, written by Robert E. Humphey and titled ONCE UPON A TIME IN WAR, an account of the 99th Infantry Division in World War II.
However, it is not so much the story of a division as it is the story of the men who fought and suffered and the many who died wearing its checkerboard insigna – their fears regarding what they might do when confronting the enemy, their reaction to the violent death that surrounded them night and day, the loss of friends, much of which was experienced in winter conditions for which they were hopelessly equiped – a telling told based on hundreds of interviews and letters and emails of the survivors the author was able to contact. As a consequence, the story is based heavily on the experience of those who were there.
This is what I found greatly adds to the interest of the story : it is not the story of a huge, impersonal group of some 10,000 or so members but the experiences of numerous individuals in the 393rd the 394th, and the 395th Regiments many of whose names were given, making it possible to follow individuals through the hell they experienced and leaves the reader feeling he knew many of then.
This reader found himself fighting tears on more than one occassion – and during the last chapter which told of their homecoming in particular. I also found that during the nine days or so that I was “in“ the book, the experiences of the 393rd, the 394th, and the 395th were somehow “in” me, dominating my thoughts almost no matter what I was doing. For those nine or so days I went through Basic again, and I, too, was on Elsenborn Ridge, fighting the cold…, cursing the shelling…, losing control of my bowel movements. And after it : the long, long marches…, climbing one hill after another…, the concerned about snipers…, hitting the ground at the burst of machine gun fire…, and always the noise…, the sight and stench of dead bodies…, the sometimes stupidity of orders…, the loss of squad members…, the crossing of the Danube…, the long lines of PWs…, and always the dead.
And when news came that the war was over, there was no celebration, no shouting, no embracing of others, no firing of weapons but only the feeling of great relief, and (perhaps) the question : what now ? This, as of so much that is in the book, has the powerful ring of truth.
As is true of everyone, I only gradually became aware of the holocaust and the German treatmen of the Jews. However, I had always assumed that the Germans treated PW much better. They didn’t. ONCE made that quite clear. Their story is yet to be told.
You asked, “Is Once a classic ?” There is no doubt in my mind that it is; for if a classic is a work that portrays man and an aspect of the human condition in such a way that it need never be told again – for it would only be saying the same thing and not nearly as well – then ONCE UPON A TIME IN WAR is a classic, in the same sense that ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and ONCE AN EAGLE are. The grunts’ experience of fighting a war during the worst winter in some 50 years against an efficient and powerful enemy has been told so well it need never be told again.
Every service man, whatever his outfit or theatre or war, owes Robert Humphrey a word of thanks. The 99th would do well to make him an honorary member. Do you agree ?
And so, Mr. Humphrey : THANK YOU.
From: Dale Blichmann blichmad@CHARTERMI.NET
Date : November 4, 2009 4:21:41 AM PST
To : “HUMPHREYRE@csus.Edu” humphreyre@csus.Edu
Subject : Once Upon A Time In War
Note : I didn’t get a copy of this book and I can’t tell you about.
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