Foreword by John McGain.
'In my day, when World War II broke out you would be embarrassed to be on the streets without a uniform on of some kind. The country was totally unified, and we never questioned the fact that we were going to go serve. If we weren't going to defend out country, who would?' -Buck Compton
As part of the elite 101st Airborne paratroopers, Lieutenant Lynn 'Buck' Compton fought in the critical battles of Normandy and Market-Garden and in the freezing cold of Bastogne. Easy Company, immortalized as the Band of Brothers, stands today as an icon of brotherhood and bravery under fire.
Here, Buck Compton tells his story, revealing how the skills, work ethic, and discipline he learned as a young man served as the foundation for the courage of selflessness he displayed during the deadliest conflict of the twentieth century. From his years as a two-sport UCLA star who played baseball with Jackie Robinson and football in the Rose Bowl, through his legendary postwar career as a prosecutor, in which he helped convict Sirhan Sirhan for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Buck Compton embodies the American dream: athlete, combat veteran, detective, attorney, judge.
This is the true story of a real-life hero who travelled to a faraway place and put his life on the line for freedom-and an insightful memoir about courage, leadership, camaraderie, compassion, and the opportunities for success that can happen only in America.
'A refreshingly frank memoir.' -Military.com
'Out of all the officers in Easy Company, Buck was closest to the guys.' -Edward 'Babe' Heffron
'I could never say enough to express my thanks and admiration for Buck Compton.' -William 'Wild Bill' Guarnere