{"product_id":"an-honor-and-a-guard-from-omaha-beach-to-the-heart-of-nazi-germany-one-infantrymans-journey-9781958407257","title":"An Honor and A Guard: From Omaha Beach to the Heart of Nazi Germany-One Infantryman's Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere were those who doubted whether National\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuard Units could hold up like regular U.S. Army units\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ein wartime. Routinely assigned missions where the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eodds were stacked heavily against them, the 175th\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegiment-29th Infantry Division not only silenced the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003edoubters, they went on to gain a reputation as one of\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe fiercest fighting units of World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of one infantryman of the 175th-Forest S.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBirch-as told to the author, his son, John F. Birch-over a period of\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emany years, culminating in a recorded interview, made on June 6, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1994 (50th anniversary of the D-Day beach landings). The transcript\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof the interview is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eForest Birch's story is personal and intimate-and brings to\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elight experiences shared by many who served during World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBirch had more than his fair share of good fortune but never forgot\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe horrors he witnessed, nor the fear he felt, from the first wave\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof beach landings until the ultimate surrender\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof the Nazi war machine in April,1945 which\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esaw his unit just 40 miles outside Berlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ELM Grove Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50912237650194,"sku":"9781958407257","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_48d38bb2-3339-4418-90aa-373c49864f5b.jpg?v=1738767463","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/an-honor-and-a-guard-from-omaha-beach-to-the-heart-of-nazi-germany-one-infantrymans-journey-9781958407257","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}