Small Victories in a Great Big War, John H. Canfield
Small Victories in a Great Big War, John H. Canfield
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Small Victories in a Great Big War
The Terrifying and Sometimes Hilarious Adventures of a World War Two Paratrooper

Author: John H. Canfield

Narrator: Eric Smies

Unabridged: 4 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/08/2023


Synopsis

An incredible journey of traumatic near-death moments, day to day drudgery, amusing situations, and brushes with greatness in World War II.

Life for a World War II paratrooper was grave and perilous; John H. Canfield's experience was no different. However, this young man found himself in so many crazy—sometimes humorous—situations that he almost forgot about how dangerous it was.

Filled with pranksters and superiors full of bravado and an unfortunate brush with racial bigotry with a fellow African American soldier, Canfield shares his many stories from basic training and jump school. But his best stories are from the war. From having to translate a dinner for an inebriated superior using his scant French, to getting chewed out by none other than General George S. Patton, Canfield shares a wealth of experiences from his WWII tour of the European theater.

In Small Victories in a Great Big War, John H. Canfield shows that half the battle is surviving, and that he did. With bravery and flair, Canfield returned home to Connecticut with more than a few amusing anecdotes.

More than seventy-five years after the end of World War II, John H. Canfield's stories are now shared with the world.

About John H. Canfield

John H. Canfield, born in Meriden, Connecticut, was the fifth of seven Canfield children. He graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1942 and was drafted into the Army in 1943. He served in the Army thirty-nine months, honorably discharged in 1946. In 1951, John graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in civil engineering. Moving to California, where he married his wife Neva Mae Sharp in 1954, settling in Sacramento, where they had three children. John had a thirty-six-year career with the California Transportation Department, retiring in 1987. He was very active in his community including his church, local and state government, and veterans organizations.


Reviews

Goodreads review by April on July 23, 2025

like listening to that one guy at the Legion post. good story.......more