W.E.B. Griffin

[SocketCreep]

I just finished two books by Griffin. They were on a discount rack at our local drug store. They were each part of two separate series. I did not know of the other books in the respective series, so I have started them by reading the units in the wrong order. I will now go back and try to do the rest in correct sequence.

But I must say that I am very impressed. I just finished the Fighting Agents. This was about a Lt Col Wendell Fertig who did not surrender to the Japanese at the order of Gen MacAuthur. The book was fascinating! Only when I finished the book and read the Epilog, did I find that Wendell Fertig was a real person and that the story was basically true. Griffin blended fact and fiction for this story. Apparently when Fertig did not surrender, he realized that the other resistance fighters both Phillipino and American forces, needed leadership to organize them. He promoted himself to Brig Gen rank and started organizing attacks via guerrilla warfare. MacAuthur refused to recognize that the group existed. The OSS started to supply them covertly, circumventing MacAuthur. In the end, Fertig had under his command some 30,000 people, performing at the level of a LtGen. He was only promoted officially to Col. Col Fertig was later part of the start up and initial training of the Green Berets in guerrilla tactics.

Anyway, in my research into this Fertig, I found a book entittled They Fought Alone that got very good reviews. I will try to read it too.

There is a movie in the works by the same title staring either Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise playing the role of Fertig. I just hope the movie does justice to this obviously great man of courage.

Y3K -- Start Early