World War II memoirs on Web
Local veteran included in Library of Congress project
By JOHN R. PULLIAM
The Register-Mail
Posted Jul 23, 2008 @ 10:31 AM
GALESBURG —
A Galesburg man’s memoir of his years in the Army during World War II has been published online by the Veterans History Project of The Library of Congress.
LeRoy Maleck, 86, 1012 Frank St., said he sent his book to The Library of Congress several years ago. Last week while his son was visiting, they Googled Maleck’s name and saw, “What Am I Doing Here? True Adventures While Surviving 1172 Days in the U.S. Army During World War II,” on the Internet. That is the easiest way to find the book.
Doing a Google search, it is the third item down.
The 131-page memoir includes an introduction and 11 chapters: Induction Day; Deep in the heart of; Officers and Gentlemen; Hollywood Commandos; Assignments, Realizations; Eastern Bound; The Normandy Campaign; The Breakout; The Northern France Campaign; The Ardennes, ‘The Battle of the Bulge;’ and The Rhineland.
In the introduction, Maleck warned readers not to expect a best-seller “as I am not a poet, writer, author or journalist.” Maleck wrote that on more than one occasion, however, people told him “ ‘You do write an interesting letter.’ ”
He said that several teachers and some serving in the military had high praise for “What Am I Doing Here?” calling it equal to or better than anything written by Stephen E. Ambrose.
Indicative of both his modesty and sense of humor, though, he then wrote, “I must have some great loyal friends.”
Maleck may not be a professional writer, but he brings to life what soldiers saw and felt during World War II. In his chapter on Normandy, he wrote about July 4, 1944, D-Day plus 28.
“... every 4th of July since then, I relive the excitement of being informed that it is now my turn and go and join the invasion forces. It is almost the equivalent of having your surgeon tell you that the surgery you are going to undertake has 100 to 1 chance of survival.”
Maleck also told of the LST he and others rode in to Omaha Beach.
“Soon the whole front end of the ship opened like two very large garage doors, and the vehicles and men started pouring out. The four-foot deep, ice-cold channel water hit our hot bodies, and almost seemed to hiss as we staggered down the ramp with full equipment and the heavy duffle bags on our shoulders.”
Of marching inland: “We could plainly hear the rumble of artillery and estimate the fury of the not-too-distant front. Overpowering emotions filled the hearts of every soldier — bewilderment at the stark reality of war — the unbelievable cost already — the unmistakable cost yet to come. The future held little promise — grim and foreboding.”
And, of actual combat: “After what seemed an infinity of expectancy, it happened — the ominous ripping sound of a German MG 42 machine gun shattered the morning air.
The now familiar zing, zing, zing of machine gun bullets told us we were targeted! Mortar fire smothered the advancing infantrymen. Dead and wounded soon were lying on the ground!”
As fewer and fewer World War II veterans survive as the years pass, these are the words of a local man who was there. And, as the U.S. sends another generation of young men — and women — off to war, despite the changes in the weapons, the words Maleck wrote give those who have never seen combat a glimpse of what it is like.
Maleck, a retired optometrist who also has seven patents to his name, said he wants people to know the book is online because he is not sure when it was posted. As a result, he’s also not sure how long it will be on the Internet. He wants area residents who are interested to have the chance to read it without having to pay to do so.
His reaction when he saw his written words on the Internet: “Hey, I can’t believe it,” Maleck said
World War II memoirs on Web - Galesburg, IL - The Register-Mail
World War II memoirs on Web
For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman. 
