"This book is a different kind of war story: both a powerful chronicle of life in battle and a unique portrait of courage fueled by a life-long passion for political justice.". "Cane's fight for freedom began well before D-Day. In 1937, he joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and was wounded fighting for democracy in Spain. In 1942, at the age of 30, he enlisted in the new war against fascism. As an officer with the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion, he went ashore on Utah Beach to clear mines, destroy fortifications, and open roads from Normandy to the Siegfried Line. Of the 400 American veterans of the Spanish Civil War in World War II, Cane was the only one to go ashore with the assault wave on D-Day.". "After the war, Lawrence Cane was active in civil rights and peace causes until his death in 1976. Discovered in 1995 by his son David, his letters are not only classic accounts of war and unforgettable expressions of love for family. They are the fiercely patriotic words of a left wing, working class New York Jew (and one-time Communist Party member) who knew exactly why we fought - to create a better world by destroying all forms of fascism one battle at a time."--BOOK JACKET.