A Soldier's Diary
Subtitle: U.S. Army Signal Corps in World War 2
By: by Alfred DiGiacomo.
Edition: Rev. ed.
Publisher: Xlibris Corp.
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Philadelphia PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 193
Subjects: DiGiacomo, Alfred, 1922- -- Diaries.; United States. Army. Signal Battalion, 926th -- History.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Western Front.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories -- United States.; Telephone operators -- United States -- Diaries.
Genres: Diaries.; Personal narratives, American.
First sentence: When I graduated from Huntinton High School in June 1941, my future full of possibilites, lay before me.  Little did I dream that three years later, I would be in the Army operating a telephone switchboard in Normandy for the Ninth Tactial Air Command under the leadership of an Air Force legend, General Pete Quesada and a member of a unit that help liberate Europe from the Nazi's.
Description: Back Cover:    Sergeant Alfred DiGiacomo a telephone operator for the Ninth Tactical Air Command recieved a call on the switchboard during Operation Cobra in Normandy. The voice on the phone said, "This is General Bradley, I would like to speak to General Quesada."  "Sorry Sir, His line is busy" was my reply. "This is urgent"  was the reply. -- This one phone call prevented further casualties and save the lives of an unknown number of infantry men from the friendly fire from above. 
 The author kept a daily diary of his three years in the Army. It is through this journal and family correspondence, that details of lthe life of a G.I. - The training, the routine duties, the drama of war, the release provided by passes and dates.. The challanges of living with the threat of death are revealed. 
Through this personal narrative, key moments of the War are presented: The London Mini Blitz, the Normandy beachhead, the liberation of Paris and Brusselels, the Battle of the Bulge, the Buzz Boombs over Liege and the one that struck his quarters, and the horrors of Buchenwald Concetration Camp.  It also describes the trials o f an  ocean voyage on the troop ship  Queen Mary  in October 1943 when he shipped to England and the tramp steamer in October 1945 when he returned home.
Notes: Cover title.
Includes index.
Table of contents: title: 1 Your in the Army now, 2 Florida, 3 The Carolina's  4 We're coming over  5 Invasion,  6 The breakout 7 Versailles, Paris, Brusselles; title: 8 Verviers , 9 Battle of the Bulge, 10  Germany , 11 The Aftermath, 12 Redeployment, 13 Homeward Bound, 14, Postscript,; title: 15 Letters of Commendation, 16 Photographs, 17 Epilogue, 18 Index