The Fighting First: The Untold Story Of The Big Red One on D-Day

by Flint Whitlock

The Fighting First recounts the untold story of the 1st Infantry Division’s role in the invasion of France at Normandy. Using primary sources, official records, interviews, and unpublished memoirs by the veterans themselves, Flint Whitlock has crafted a riveting, gut-wrenching, personal story of courage under fire. Operation Overlord—the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944—was the most important battle of World War II, and Omaha Beach was the hottest spot in the entire operation. Leading the amphibious assault on the “Easy Red” and “Fox Green” sectors of Omaha Beach was the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division—“The Big Red One”—a tough, swaggering outfit with a fine battle record. The saga of the Big Red One, however, did not end with the storming of the beachhead, but continued across France, Belgium, and into Germany itself, where the division fought in the battles for Aachen, the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. The Fighting First is an inspiring, graphic, and often heart-breaking story of young American soldiers performing their missions with spirit, humor, and determination.

Genres: History, World War II, Military History, American History, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

As an art major, Flint Whitlock graduated from the University of Illinois in 1964 with a degree in Advertising Design, but has always been as much a writer as an artist. His love for military history began at an early age—fueled by his father, James, who served with the famed 10th Mountain Division in World War II. Flint also had an uncle who was a military policeman with the 1st Infantry Division and another uncle who served with the Navy in the Pacific.

Wanting to serve his country, Flint was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Commission Training Program and entered active duty in December 1964. After attending the basic Air Defense Artillery officers' course at Fort Bliss, Texas, Flint earned his jump wings at Airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was then posted to a Nike Hercules battery in Baumholder, Germany. After two years in ADA, he received a branch transfer to the Quartermaster Corps and spent an additional year with the Supply and Maintenance Agency in Zweibruecken, Germany, where he was promoted to captain.


In 1968, Flint was transferred to South Vietnam, arriving one day before the Tet Offensive in January, 1968. He served for six months as a supply specialist at 1st Logistical Command Headquarters at Long Binh, northeast of Saigon, before being transferred to the 14th Inventory Control Center at the same post. He returned to the States in 1969 and spent a year with the 5th Infantry Division Supply and Maintenance Battalion at Fort Carson, Colorado, before resigning his commission and returning to civilian life.

After a stint as the Public Relations Director for the Denver Dynamos of the now-defunct North American Soccer League, he served as a copywriter, art director, and creative director for several major Colorado advertising agencies. While holding down these positions, he also continued to paint and write, becoming a locally prominent artist of the “photo-realist” genre. His attention to visual detail also translated to the written word, as he sought to convey the emotional and physical aspects of the soldier's experience.

To heighten his understanding of, and appreciation for, what the World War II combat soldier went through, he became involved in World War II re-enactment groups, in which he has been active for over 20 years. As a tribute to his father, he founded the 10th Mountain Division Living History Display Group in 1983 (www.tenthmountain.org). He is also a member of the 10th Mountain Division Foundation Board of Directors and the 10th Mountain Division Resource Center Advisory Committee.

Flint Whitlock lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Dr. Mary Ann Watson, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Metropolitan State College of Denver. They have three grown children: Gillian Lee Whitlock, an actress and make-up artist in Hollywood; Suki Montgomery, a psychologist and member of the counseling staff at Ithaca (NY) College; and Matthew Montgomery, an anesthesiologist in Denver. To keep in shape, Flint skis, referees soccer, and plays tennis.

Reviews

[Checkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flint Whitlock knows of what he writes about. He served in the Vietnam War. As a result, his accounts are very soldier centric. Unlike the historical accounts written by historians in the 1950's through the 1970's Mr. Whitlock doesn't pull any punches in his descriptions of infantry combat. He knows what it's like to be on the ground and under fire and his writing is very honest in that respect. He also manages to strike a balance between using primary sources and describing the overall events to the readers. It seems (in this reviewer's humble opinion) that over the past thirty-odd years many historians have focused so much on primary sources and detailed documentation that the flow of the historical account suffers. I enjoy reading the histories written in the past decades for the simple fact that they weren't so focused on details. Yes, the result is some questionable history, but boy did they make for some great reads. I actually have a B.A. in Liberal Arts (history) and I understand the need for solid and detailed research and notes, but there are times I miss some of the blood and thunder of the older historians. While I wouldn't categorize Mr. Whitlock with those old boys, he's close enough that his books .... move.

If you're looking for a book that breaks new ground, you won't find it in "The Fighting First". It's a very traditional account of the First Infantry Division at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, with some lead up and a few chapters covering the division's experience in the last eleven months of World War II. It's a solid read and honestly written.

[Rick Van Oers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars from me

[Michael Bistrica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, an excellent book about the 1st Infantry Division in World War 2 from D-Day to VE Day. The main focus of the book is the Division's preparation for D-Day and the ordeals the officers and men faced on that morning of 6 June 1944 and the days after. If you are interested in the 1st Infantry Division or military history, you should read this book. The author while recounting the actions of D-Day and beyond interviewed numerous veterans of that day and the war in Europe. He weaves what they saw, felt, and experienced into the story which provides a real-world view of what happen verses providing a restatement of official unit records.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dad went ashore with the 1st Infantry Division on Omaha Beach the morning of D-Day. In preparation for a family visit to the National World War II Museum, I wanted to learn more about the events of his time in Europe. this book covers all of WWII, from the campaign in northern Africa to the end of the war, when the 1st Division was pacifying part of Czechoslovakia. The author conducted interviews with a number of participants from several regiments, giving a good first-hand view of the fighting as well as interludes of the bigger picture.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no-nonsense recounting of the exploits of the 1st Infantry from the beginning to the end of WWII in Europe. The book is made very interesting by telling it in the words of many of the soldiers involved from interviews, correspondence, and official records. It moves along smartly and takes you a long.

[Penecks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty regular gung-ho popular history; a few D-Day sources new to me were a welcome surprise, though as tends to be the case with fragmented oral histories the actual narrative can become scattered at times. The frequent use of medal citations in the writing, even when it seems forced, can eventually make one roll their eyes. A third of the book actually details 1st division actions after June 1944, though these are not quite as fleshed out, they are still a decent read.

[Monroe Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent documentation of what really happened, no movie script. It’s a wonder that anyone survived at Normandy with all of the foul ups by everyone involved; Army, Navy, Air a force and even the UDT guys. Although the UDT guys were killed before they were able to do their job.

[Mark Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book reads like an action book. Plenty of facts and information in it

[Max Zappe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty comprehensive overview of interesting subject matter. The numerous stories and perspectives were all quite fascinating.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, aka "The Big Red One", fought in some of the toughest European battles of World War II. This book claims to be about the 1st during the D-Day invasion at Normandy, but that only takes up about half the book. The first third of the book recounts some of the 1st's action in North Africa and Sicily and the narrative bounces back and forth between the 1st and the big picture of the pending invasion of France. Personally, I think this part of the book could have been written better and in a more linear and fluid way.
However, once we actually get to D-Day the book takes off. Using a plethora of personal recollections from members of the 1st and from other units, the assault on Omaha Beach is retold in graphic detail. It's not hard to see why this was such a chaotic fight and how precarious the Allied foothold on Omaha was. Hands down, the D-Day recollections are the best part of the book--truly outstanding oral history.
After the first few days of the Normandy invasion, the book starts to get into a more generalized account of the 1st Division's combat in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Czechoslovakia. There are still several personal accounts, but nothing like the part on D-Day.
At the time this book was written, there might not have been many accounts from 1st Division soldiers about D-Day, so claiming this is the "untold story of the Big Red One on D-Day" probably has a ring of truth to it. If the author had just chosen to focus on D-Day, I think this would have been a better book, but instead he spends quite a bit of time on background and planning, and then another fair chunk on a less-detailed narrative of post-D-Day action. Even with this criticism, I still think this is an excellent book on D-Day and a fine tribute to the men of the Fighting First.

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the First Infantry Division, the Big Red One, from its landing on Omaha Beach to the fall of Germany. The First had already been involved in the landings in North Africa and Sicily and seen extensive fighting. It had hoped to be rotated home but instead was sent to England in preparation for the invasion of France. Eisenhower had wanted the division as he had commanded them in the African and Sicily campaigns. The First drew the assignment of landing on Omaha Beach, which proved to be the most hotly contested landing on D-Day. With numerous things going wrong and stiffer resistance than planned on, just getting onto the beach was was costly.
The book then follows the First as it fought its way across France into Germany. The division fought in the toughest battles on the front: the hedgerows along the coast, St Lo, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge just to name a few. Along the way the division earned 16 Medals of Honor among its many decorations.
The author relies heavily on diaries, unit histories, and interviews. In the process the reader feels like he almost knows the men as he follows their stories.

[ThomasAD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly great. Despite the complex scenario, the author follows the hardships on Omaha beach logically in a manner that is easy to follow. The best part of the book were Whitlock's descriptions of Medal of Honor recipient actions. Great read, if you enjoy books on WWII you should find a copy of this.

[Patricrk patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three beach assaults including Omaha beach. Hurtgen forest and the bulge. The Big Red One was involved in some of the hardest fighting of the war. A good story with some personal accounts.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read if you like WWII history.

[Carl Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out as breathless as most American histories... then settles down to good oral history. Enjoyable but not necessary.