In time for National Medal of Honor Day on March 25, a new book is profiling the heroism of four American soldiers during World War II.
New York Times best-selling author Alex Kershaw’s latest book, “Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II” tells the story of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Division from its invasion of North Africa in 1942 to its march across Italy, France, and Germany while focusing focuses on the story of Medal of Honor recipients Maurice “Footsie” Britt, Michael Daly, Audie Murphy, and Keith Ware.
“They weren’t looking for a medal,” said Kershaw. “They were just looking to save lives. In fact, most of the time, the guys I write about perform these acts because someone had to do something to save someone from being killed. That’s the one thing they have in common. They are all incredibly selfless.”
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Britt, a former professional football player, became the very first American to receive every award for valor in a single war. Daly was a West Point dropout who continually risked his own lie to keep his men alive.
Ware survived World War II because of Murphy and became the first and only draftee in history to attain the rank of general before serving in Vietnam.
To research his book, Kershaw made the journey the four men made from Italy to Germany.
“I went to the exact beach where Audie Murphy came ashore and then I followed the division all the way up to Nuremberg,” he said. “When I finally got to Nuremberg, I thought 'my God, how did they make it?'
“To think these guys were in combat most of the time, they had to fight all the way. You actually can’t believe they did this. I was exhausted doing it. It was incredibly humbling, it was moving, it was definitely very moving.”
Kershaw said for many recipients of the Medal of Honor, the recognition is a double-edge sword of humble pride and a recognition they were lucky to come back.
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“A lot of people, thousands and thousands and thousands of guys, their actions weren’t witnessed, so they didn’t get a medal,” he said. “I’ve been told by several people that lots of other people should have gotten the medal and I was very lucky that people recognized what I did.”
Kershaw also tapped into personal interviews and primary source material to tell the stories of the four men.
“In combat, these guys were really aggressive, but they were pretty mild-mannered and retiring In real life,” he said.
Kershaw also discusses the effect of being a Medal of Honor recipient had on the men throughout their lives.
“People need to be reminded all the time that freedom is not free,” he added. “The reason Western Europe was liberated was because of the guys I write about. They put everything on the line so other people could be free.”
Kershaw called democracy a “very fragile thing,” particularly given the ongoing Russian incursion into Ukraine.
“Today, more than ever, we realize it is incredibly precious,” he said.
“Against All Odds” can be found online and at bookstores.
Reach Julia at Julia@connectingvets.com.