Set in the Day Stellar Reading Challenge – 1940s
Set in the Years 1941-1945/ Published in 2022
5/5 I previously posted a Starlight Book Review (SBR) of Mike Guardia’s Skybreak…, as a book for the Local Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). Check out that review by clicking here. When I learned that Guardia’s The Combat Diaries: True Stories from the Frontlines of World War II would hit shelves while I took on the Set in the Day Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC), I slated this work, my first nonfiction read for this SRC, for my book Set in the 1940s. Click here for more information on this SRC. I own a copy of The Combat Diaries… and enjoyed reading it without a due date looming.
“From the beaches of Normandy to the shores of Iwo Jima. Harrowing tales of combat…as told by the men who lived it… World War II was the most destructive conflict in human history. At its peak, the US military drew some 16 million men into its ranks to defeat the Axis Powers. They came from nearly every walk of life – farmers, tradesmen, teachers, lawyers, professional athletes, and even Hollywood celebrities. But whether they came from the wheat fields of Kansas, the streets of New York, the backlots of Tinseltown, or the dugouts of Fenway Park, these everyday heroes answered the call when their country needed them. They were ordinary men who accomplished extraordinary things. Today, we call them the “Greatest Generation.”…
“The Combat Diaries” recounts the harrowing tales of more than a dozen heroic veterans – including: -A young crewman aboard PT-306, who ferried Allied spies and British Commandos onto mainland Europe. -A young USAAF pilot who was among the few Americans to fly a British Spitfire into combat.-A Navy combat diver (“frogman”) who swam at night amongst the Japanese-held islands, diffusing underwater mines and setting demolitions to assist the Marines’ amphibious assaults.…and many more…. Members of the Greatest Generation are leaving us at the rate of several hundred per day. Indeed, the youngest veterans of World War II are now in their nineties. “The Combat Diaries” is a testament to their enduring legacy.”
The Combat Diaries… pulled me in from the start. Guardia related the real life stories of these individuals who served in various World War II (WWII) theaters in such an engrossing way. He lets the subjects directly speak to the reader. It often surprised me to learn some of these subjects died because I felt like I was in the room with interviewees. I found The Combat Diaries… to be one of the greatest vehicles for transporting me to WWII. Bataan Death March survivor Ken Porwoll’s plight, among others, resonated with me.
I recommend The Combat Diaries… to readers, new as well as familiar to WWII literature. This book offers numerous perspectives on a beyond pivotal event. In addition to the text, Guardia included stellar pictures.
Charles E. “Commando” Kelly from Chapter 13 of The Combat Diaries… can be seen in this fabulous video from RetroWave History. Check it out here:
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Starry Night Elf 
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