The Medic: Life and Death in the Last Days of WWII

"The Medic" by Leo Litwak. Sub-titled "Life and Death in the Last days of WWII. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2001.This is a well-written story of a young man who had just finished his first year at the University of Michigan and was drafted,in February 1943. Leo Litwak was assigned to the medical corps with initial training with a detachment in South Carolina. The book covers the time from this training to his arrival in European Theater of Operations (EOT) in November 1944, until the end of the war. At the very end of his time in Europe, he recounts how his unit had to turn over the village (made-up name of "Grossdorf") to the Russians as it was on Soviet side of the occupation line. Litwak had studied a little German, so he was able to communicate in "bare-bones German" (P. 137) with not only the people in the occupied towns but also with the survivors of nearby concentration camps. The author devotes a long chapter to his assignation , while on leave in Paris (1945) with the hooker, Marishka, but the writing is done in a sensitive and quiet way. Litwak's writing is generally excellent: Page 115, example " ...German Soldiers, whom we once considered awesome predators - well clad, well armed, well disciplined, red in tooth and claw". Now, as prisoners, the Germans were "... flock animals, indistinguishable from each other". The author has also done a good job of capturing the constant use of profanity in routine conversations in the military. There is profanity in the book, but not near as much as you would encounter in daily conversations. When I served in the U. S. Navy in the late 1950s, the sailors would answer affirmatively by saying, "F---ing `A'!", not just a simple "Yes!". My son served in the Marine Corps in the early 1990s, and he reports that the same amount of profanity was used. The author has included just enough profanity to capture the essence of routine military dialogue. Finally, Leo Litwak ends the book with a summary that many probably felt, (Page 225): " Now I wanted us to be scattered and never reassembled. No more armies or divisions or regiments or battalions ... No veterans' groups, no reunions, no visits to old battlefields ... Let that all be in the past, cleansed by recollection."

Worth a dozen "Saving Private Ryan"s. The real deal: fear, terror, comradeship, heroism and corruption. This is a short, moving masterpiece. Those who think it is too emotionally distanced just don't get the point of the book and the author's experience -- re-read the first few pages where he talks about repressing all his WWII memories for over 20 years and then having them come flooding back. You will read this book in one sitting and understand war in a new and better way. Take it from one who knows (Vietnam 1968-69 service).

Perhaps it is the distance of a half century that allowed Mr. Litwak to avoid the heroic stereotypes that are common in many recollections of war.For me, some of the most emotional moments of this book are the author's descriptions of wretching events told in the dispassionate voice of the combat medic. I felt I could understand the impact that the dangers and brutality of the war had upon the ordinary soldier.In balance to the narrative of the young medic, there are the amazingly honest memories of the author looking back at the war: the deep comradeship of his unit; the loss of his platoon sergeant; the poignantly unreal romance in Paris. Over the past couple of years, I have read numerous histories and biographies related to World War II. None of the others brought me as close to the lives of combat troops as Mr. Litwak's honest little memoir.

The Medic is a GI's story of war and a first rate book. For those seeking a how to book on how to turn a tourniquet, this is not the book. Mr. Litwak describes human frailties and moral dilemma. His experiences are not pretty; there is no glory to war or nobility to warfare. The Medic is a tale of young American guys growing up as soldiers in a foreign land at war. They were certainly on the right side of history but not always on the right side in their decision making. Having led young men in situations of stress and survival myself, I found Mr. Litwak's portrayals clear and poignant. They rang true. For the soldier the noble path was often unclear. Young men, far from home and in the midst of a battle had little guidance. Choosing right from wrong was a struggle for all and Mr. Litwak forcefully describes this with great courage and insight, as the medic is certainly not a romanticized hero. The book is well structured and paced beautifully, climaxing in what I found to be an emotionally powerful and gripping chapter. I commend Mr. Litwak for his honesty and courage; it is hard to find a hero among these soldiers, even the medic. All are corrupted by war, albeit a war against the evil Nazis.

The theme of this book and it source of tension is the conflict between (in combat) our need to survive and our need and ability to feel. There is no resolution nor should there be and this is the truth and reward of this book