From California, a group of new recruits arrived overseas just after the Germans withdrew from Africa. They were sent with experienced soldiers to Italy following the German resistance. Borthwick was a private in the radio section of the Headquarters Battery, associated with a Field Artillery Battalion of the 45th Infantry Division. As the Allied army moved up "the boot," he was reassigned to "C" company heading for Rome. The large, unhindered landing at Anzio beachhead in January 1944 was a total surprise to the Germans. Within days his outfit got caught in the Anzio Express, with the Germans' big guns nightly attempting to repel the landing. He missed death several times in a horrific battle of foxholes and incoming shells. The author, typically with the company's radio strapped to his back, said that Lady Luck smiled on him. Later, looking at the thousands of graves made him wonder what it was all about. Dying thousands of miles from home "didn't seem to add up."

This hidden gem of World War II history was written by an Army soldier who experienced 252 days of combat experience in and around Anzio, Italy. The Normandy landing had little to brag about in comparison. A history devotee, the author always wanted to travel to northern Africa and Italy. He faithfully records the ancient places he saw during two years overseas. His valuable insights relieve the intensity of his tale. As a young child, Borthwick's daughter remembers hearing his pen scratching out this remembrance. Borthwick also suffered PTSD nightmares and would sometimes declare that the enemy was outside his window. With some additional chapter navigation tools, this fascinating book could even be submitted for a movie script. The characters are patently real, with verifiable facts recalled soon after events.

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