An Interesting Memoir

[Sanford]

Hi Mooch,

I haven't checked in here for a few months, so I was surprised to see your post from just earlier today (good timing for me). Excellent response, thanks for sharing your insight on this topic of which you have intimate knowledge. Much appreciated.

Sandy

[Tobi]

Thank you Linda for cleaning the thread!

So here it goes again.

I'm now at page 120 and all I can say is, that the description Webster giving, is very detailed and glueing! He describes the way people are, the landscape, the smell, taste ...very nice.
You can find out a few facts about many Easy men and many others of the 506th! For instance Winters, Guarnere, Lyall, Peacock, Hoobler, Sink, Taylor, Randleman, Rader.

For example I didn't read in any other book that Gen. Taylor hated the wool knit cap. So Sink had to tell every man not to wear a knit cap, without a helmet!

--------------------
I got myself the first printing (1994 LSU) of Websters book. I read that in the current version (Delta 2002) some names have changed because of Websters misnamings. So I looked up the names and I noticed a name Lt. Bownlow in the old book which is Lt. Peacock in the new one.
Why does Webster mixed that up and who is Brownlow?

I also noticed that there are some parts missing in the first version! For example in the holland campaign on page 126. They took a break in barn on the west side of uden. The part with the confused lady who pretends to be the owner of the barn is missing completely.
Where does those stories came from, if not from webster himself?
Did they edited the book after interviewing other vets?

Tobi

[foxy]

I have order his book and I can't wait to read it.

On the website of David Webster, I read all his letters to home, some words were difficult but otherwise I love it. The style and the details is different from other books that I read.

I see forward to his book...

[Tobi]

I have finished it since some time. I read Larry's book since then too.
I very enjoyed reading David's book. Sadly there are some rumors that not everything he wrote is true. But I ask myself why would he write something wrong, right afer things have happened? What would be his intention? Back than there were so many soldiers who could have tell he is a lier (when his book would have been published in the 60s). Why would he risk that? Clancy Lyall told me that David could be a pain in the ass, because during the war he wrote everything down that he or others experienced, all the time. He was a good soldier Clancy told me too.
Nevertheless enjoy reading it foxy.

[silas5]

I've read this book 4-5 times and really enjoy it. I think there are two things I like about this book, beyond just the great quality of the writing. One it's not so much a war story as a story about a guys life while he happened to be at war, and that gives it a special distict feeling that seperates it from so many others. Second Webster isn't the same as the guys who are mostly associated with Band of Brothers or war stories in general (at least not the ones I usually come in contact with). People like Winters, Guarnere, Toye, they are such amazing bigger than life personalities the best of the best so to speak, and while i can dream and even on some level strive to be like them, they seem out of reach. Webster on the other hand definately has the feel of a guy i could know, and that makes him alot easier to identify with. Through all of my BoB exploration the 2 guys whom I am always most curious about are Webster and Nixon and any information on eaither I devour.

Mooch

I would love to hear what else you know about Webster especially with regard to how others felt about him. If you would rather send it PM i understand, i would also understand if you would prefer not to. I get that there are some hard feeling because of the reliance on Websters book for BoB, and for Websters prominance when others were left out completely. Like with the last patrol, but I also think if he were around Webster would be the first in line to fix those facts, he always seemed well aware and honest about his place as goldbrick, slacker, or whatever. Anyway i would love to hear what you know/have to say.

[Dutchman]

Thanks to Silas for your comments about Webster's book. I bought the book on the 21st of july 2004, and published one of the reviews of it. I have just finished reading the book for the third or fourth time. He was such a human soldier that every body of us would have liked. The producers of the Band of Brothers mini TV series have used and adapted some of his real war stories in Parts 9 and 10. Webster did not like the war at all, hated the brass, especially Peacock. But since he was in the war he did his duty as a Toccoa man from D-Day in Normandy to Kaprun and Zell-am-See in Austria. The only officer Webster liked was Captain Speirs and whom he thanked when he left the 506th PIR, having obtained his 85 points to return back home; (page 334). A great book of a great soldier, who died so young and was lost at sea during a shark fishing party in 1961, his body has never been found. Read more about David Kenyon Webster on next link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kenyon_Webster

[Tobi]

I have to post here agin.
Since reading DKW book, I read a couple of other books. My last one was/is PRIVATE from Lester Atwell. I'm down on 20 pages of it. Why I write something about a whole different book here? Because PRIVATE is the best book besides Websters which I read so far about the US in WWII. It has many parallelisms.
PRIVATE is about Lester Atwell who fought in the 87th Inf. Division in Europe. In the beginning he is one the line with C Company but very fast he gets transfered to the medical department as litter bearer, weapons bailee infront of the aid station and some other deployments.
I guess I will sum up the story and give a short feedback in the book section http://www.majordickwinters.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=41 here.
I just wanted to let you know, that who liked the book of Webster as much as I do, you might be doing good reading Les' book too!