"Following in the footsteps of his father and great-grandfather, both war veterans, Scott Pendleton Collins signs up for the army during the height of World War II. He is shipped out to England only to face weeks of boredom. He and his unit want to be out in the fields, doing something to help the Allied forces. Finally, the comrades find themselves on a boat heading to Normandy, France, in the dead of night. But as his boat approaches the beach, Scott suddenly realizes what they are up against, and it is an impossible invasion. Nothing in basic training, nothing he's heard from other soldiers, nothing he has ever experienced prepares Scott for what awaits on Omaha Beach..."--From publisher.

"Normandy, France, 1944"--Cover. "While the events described and some of the characters in this book may be based on actual historical events and real people, Scott Pendleton Collins is a fictional character, created by the author, and his journal and its epilogue are works of fiction"--T.p. verso.