Over Here: The United States Army in Northern Ireland During World War II

Over Here tells the story of the American Army in Northern Ireland during WWII and follows the G.I.s through the Mediterranean and European campaigns that brought the war to its end.At its heart, it is a human story-told by the veterans themselves-capturing their experiences as young G.I.s placed in a land where a communal peace and temporary freedom from mortal danger existed. As they settled into local communities, they found humour, friendship, sadness, and a deep appreciation for a people who welcomed them into their hearts and homes. In this brief sanctuary, each man confronted his own uncertain future during a period of rest, recuperation, and preparation for the battles ahead.The book also explores the essential training and tactical awareness the G.I.s received in Northern Ireland-skills that would define them in the Mediterranean and European Theatres of Operation. By chronicling these events in full for the first time, Over Here reveals the complete story of the American soldiers who came to Ulster. Through their words, we begin to understand what they endured-experiences that took away any sense of the innocence they once shared with a nation that has never forgotten them, nor they it.