THE STORY OF A SOLDIER by Ivan Paul Mehosky is compelling as it is powerful. It is the story of COL(R) Edward S. Mehosky (C Co, 1st BN; H Co, 3rd BN, 506th PIR, 1942-1945), son of a Polish immigrant who grew up in Reading, PA during the Great Depression, and distinguished himself as an officer in the Army during a career that spanned three decades and three wars. One of America's unsung heroes, Edward Mehosky was as humble as he was tough, and innovative as he was resourceful.
In 1940 when a broken leg precluded Edward from playing professional baseball, he joined the Army. Two years later he joined the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and went overseas with the 101st Airborne Division. Mehosky's account as a platoon leader during the night drop on Normandy on 'D-Day,' and then as a company commander at the Battle of the Bulge during the heroic defense of Bastogne against numerically superior enemy forces, are thrilling and riveting stories that never made the history books.
During the Korean War, Edward volunteered for the 40th Infantry Division and commanded a rifle company on a steep, frozen ridge facing Chinese positions. With the 502nd Airborne in Germany, Mehosky and his men captured a Green Beret unit and caused quite a stir. Colonel Mehosky retired in 1971. Some things should never change such as the leadership and preparedness embodied in Colonel Mehosky, a common thread throughout the book. It is qualities such as these that will sustain our citizen soldiers in future wars.
