Somewhere In France Somewhere In Germany A Combat Soldiers Journey Through The Second World War

the long version

Tells the story of the author's father's journey through the Second World War. Frank F. Sempa entered military service as part of the 29th Infantry Division in April 1941, landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day plus one, fought in the treacherous hedgerows of Normandy, participated in the capture of St. Lo and the siege of Brest, assaulted the fortifications of the Siegfried Line, crossed the Rhine River, and reached the west bank of the Elbe River. He earned the Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Arrowhead, four campaign ribbons, and the Good Conduct Medal. Throughout, Sempa dutifully wrote letters home to his parents and brother. Using those letters, local newspaper articles, the 29th Division's After Action Reports, and several books about the history of the 29th Division in World War II, the author traces his father's steps from training camps in the United States and England to the battlefields of France and Germany.