Two WWII Memoirs

I recently read two short biographical stories by WWII veterans. One by Robert and Charlotte Reynolds is "It Was Some Experience; it Really Was: The story of Marine CPL Robert Patterson Lyle. The other is "WN62: A German Soldier's Memories of the Defense of Omaha Beach Normandy, June 6, 1944.

The book on Lyle is very short. If it wasn't double spaced in large type it would almost be a pamphlet. Mr. Lyle went to the same church as my brother for many years and according to my "bro" was a man of impeccable integrity. Mr. & Mrs. Reynolds thought it important to preserve his recollections and so the book came to pass. Some issues with it are due to its being rushed into production so Mr. Lyle could see it before he died. He fought in two campaigns, Peleliu and Okinawa. After the war he was stationed in China to help clean the place up which meant taking charge of all Japanese Equipment, getting the Japanese troops repatriated. A few things in the book stand out. Mr. Lyle found some aspects of Marine Boot Camp petty and some bordering on actual sadism. He was especially miffed that one DI went out of his way to make sure he didn't qualify expert with the rifle. He was wounded on Peleliu at the beginning of the campaign but was healing quickly so told the doctor on the hospital ship he wanted to rejoin his unit. The doctor said that was out of the question. Lyle was so insistent that he was sent to see the Captain who asked if he was sure he wanted to go back. Mr. Lyle answered in the affirmative and was on his way back to Peleliu on an LCI the next day. He commented that in China for the first few days all they had to do was eat sleep and smoke opium. I did a double take and read that part again. Some how a bunch of Marines in a Chinese opium den was hard to visualize but Mr. Lyle said it was true and also said he learned that opium didn't agree with him. He mentions the "Magic Carpet" voyage back and that over half the men on his ship had some form of V.D. they were being treated for. He remarked that only his Christian faith and the fact that he couldn't stand the thought of infecting his wife at home (heavy on the latter) kept him from coming down with a "social disease." Its a good read and the authors are delightfully politically incorrect referring to things like "The War of Northern Aggression."

WN 62 is the story of a Nazi soldier named Hein Severloh who found himself on Omaha Beach behind an MG 42 on D Day. The book is entertaining but Severhoh grossly exaggerates his achievements and a lot of it is provable. He claims he expended 13,500 rounds from his MG 42 and 400 from two Mauser Kar 98Ks he had with him between the start of the landings and 3:30 in the afternoon when he abandoned the position. The problem is that WN62 was secured by the Americans by 10 A.M. He also claims to have personally killed or wounded 2.000 U.S. soldiers. To say that one beggars reality is a gross understatement. there are other issues as well. This was Severloh's one day of combat and most of the book is taken up with his experiences in the army before that date (interesting) and after capture (more interesting.) It had the possibility of being a good book but Severloh chose to embellish his role at Normanday to the point that it calls the rest of it into question.