The Quiet Hero

by Gary W. Toyn

Book Overview

This powerful story documents the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of extraordinary navy corpsman George Wahlen. After decades of silence, this survivor of one of World War II's most horrific battles divulges the gritty details of his incredible experiences. Upon landing with a company of 250 marines, Wahlen fought alongside them. Under repeated grenade and mortar fire himself, Wahlen refused evacuation, choosing instead to aid those he...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976154781
• ISBN13: 9780976154785
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: American Legacy Media
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Quiet Hero

The Quiet Hero is a down to earth written story about a down to earth good guy. The author has not followed a traditional war story format, in my view at least. It is easy to read.

Wow... Could George Wahlen be the greatest living American Veteran?

With just a small note in the Epilogue, it was noted that George E. Wahlen is the "Quintessential American Veteran." Few people may notice (see page 207... because not everyone reads the epilogue) where it states that Mr. Wahlen served tours of duty in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He also served all four branches of the military (He worked as an aircraft mechanic for the Army Air Force, was drafted into the Navy and became a corpsman, volunteered for combat with the Marines, and after WWII, re-enlisted in the Army and retired as a Major), He survived Iwo Jima, what many agree is the greatest battle of the modern era. (It was the only battle of WWII where the U.S. suffered more casualties than the enemy). To top it off, he is the recipient two Purple Hearts, and the Medal of Honor, the highest award this country can bestow on any American. Could any veteran make such a claim? I doubt it. This book is well done and compelling. I read it in 17 hours straight, and just couldn't put it down. It is well illustrated with many unique archival photographs, many that I've never seen in any other battle account. I highly recommend it!

Unforgettable

Though we are now in an era when many are either ambivalant or even hostile toward those who put their lives on the line every day for the safety of the American people, Gary Toyn reminds us of another time when men willingly sacrificed for their country. In his book, "The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle of Iwo Jima" the reader is swept into the life of Medal of Honor recipient George E. Wahlen--an unassuming Utah farm boy caught up in the throes of warfare in a vital time during the Pacific War. Not only does Toyn detail the amazing acts perfomed in the line of duty by Wahlen, he also includes memories, stories, photographs, and anecdotes of buddies, shipmates, marines, and officers who were there and saw what happened. This book is a great read, full of interesting detail of the Pacific war and facinating information about the life of one man who just did his job under horrendous circumstances. Because of the subject matter, the story can be disturbing at times; but it is because of the nature of the subject matter and its relevance to current world issues that makes this an important work for those who only see the "video-game" side of war. George Wahlen's life was exemplary. He was just a regular guy who had a job who wasn't going to let his buddies down. He knew they were counting on him. Inspirational and timely.

George Wahlen is the personficiation of what a genuine Hero is.

Afber purchasing many books on Medal Of Honor holders and finding nothing written about George Wahlen, I am extremely joyed that his life's story has been committed to print. The generations of people born after "The Greatest Generation" will now have a history of the men and women who won WW II. Mr. Wahlen had a deep fear that he would not be able to perform his duties as a Navy Medic assigned to the Marine Corps and save his buddies lives. His refusal to be evacuated off Iwo Jima after each of 2 times he was wounded because he felt he was still mission capable and the lives of his buddies depended on him. Only after his 3rd wound and breaking his leg, and committing the heroic action of dragging himself to a wounded marine on the battle field, under fire, administering aid, and bringing the wounded man back to the safety of friendly forces did he allow himself to be evacuated. He felt he "Was just doing his job...." Mr. Wahlen is to be held in the highest esteem for his service to his Marine buddies, the Navy, and the USA. This book is a "Must Read" to understand the committment he had made to himself and his buddies.

George E. Wahlen is a bonafide American hero

George E. Wahlen is a bonafide American hero. This book documents his life, especially his heroic actions as a Navy Corpsman assigned to support a platoon of Marines in the horrendous battle for the strategically important island of Iwo Jima in WWII. George served as a civil servant in the Army Air Corps, As a Navy Corpsman with the Marines, as an Army enlisted man and officer in Korea and Vietnam. After retirement in 1969 from the Army, he served as a civil servant with the Veterans Administration. The author has chronicled George's modesty and his life, focusing especially on his training and battle actions, where he spent two weeks under heavy enemy fire while tending to his Marines' wounds and just holding and comforting those who were breathing their last. He was wounded multiple times but refused to be evacuated. Even when his leg was broken, he gave himself morphine and crawled 50 yards in front of friendly lines to bring back another wounded Marine. Senators Dole and Hatch's eloquent words demonstrate the degree of honor attributed to this quiet man. The author uses a matter of fact style that both chronicles and explains the forces and context which shaped George's life and actions. Military history buffs and those interested in Americans who have especially meaningful lives will love this book. We rated it five hearts. Heartland Reviews http://www.heartlandreviews.com/NonFiction.html