Overview
In October 1944, the 2nd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment faced overwhelming odds as they fought to survive in the dense forests of the Vosges Mountains, surrounded by German forces and cut off from the rest of their unit. The survivors fought their way back only to find their foxholes held by the enemy. In October 1944, 2nd Battalion fought for survival in the Vosges Mountains, uncovering a hidden legacy. In the first week of October 1944, in the dense forests of the Vosges Mountains, 2nd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, teetered on the brink of total annihilation. German troops and tanks surrounded all three of its rifle companies, along with their H Company heavy weapons attachments. Supply routes and communication lines had been severed by intense artillery and tank shelling. Faced with the probability of impending death or capture, the battalion confronted this formidable attack with determination and courage, embodying the motto of the 45th Division-Always Forward! The majority of an entire infantry company, along with its heavy weapons attachments, was captured in that forest. The remaining two battalion companies, E and G, lost more than half of their men in hand-to-hand combat after exhausting their ammunition. After fighting throughout the day and night they attempted to fight back through to their own lines through the dark woods, encountering enemy strongpoints and firefights in the darkness, only to find enemy troops using 180th's foxholes. Nearly 50% of the battle casualties among all American troops in France in October 1944 were sustained by the divisions pushing north through the small French villages nestled in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. One of them was Steve C. Reyka, who served as an H Company heavy machine gunner. He had been with 2nd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, since Italy. With the other survivors of the battle, Reyka fought his way back through enemy lines. He managed to avoid capture, but he left something behind in that dark forest and never spoke of his experiences. His son, Michael finally uncovered the reality of his experiences after searching official military documents and then eventually retracing H Company's progress through France. He stood in the foxholes they dug-even finding the machine-gun foxhole that Steve used near Frémifontaine during the intense fighting in which most of his comrades were captured or killed. This book incorporates the story of 2nd Battalion's harrowing fight for survival and the personal account of a son uncovering his father's untold legacy. Through extensive research, Michael Reyka bridges the gap between history and memory, bringing to life the human toll of war. AUTHOR: Michael Reyka, PhD, has 25 years of combined leadership and research engagement involving disease, behavioral health and human experience, recently completing a successful career as Chief Operating Officer for a behavioral health hospital & health system; his prior clinical career involved emergency services. Michael now lives with his wife in the mountains of western Maryland and has served on the executive committees of community boards as well as numerous committees associated with not-for-profit organizations. He has also served as a Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award examiner for the Maryland state-level program and he is certified by Virginia Mason Health System in advanced LEAN processes. His influence as an adjunct assistant professor involved teaching Organizational Theory and Organizational Behavior to undergraduate students at Gettysburg College. When not researching or writing, Michael spends his time playing music in an acoustic guitar duo and a traditional blues band.
Full Product Details
Author: Michael Reyka
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Imprint: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 9781636245829
ISBN 10: 163624582
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 15 July 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
""Michael Reyka tells a painstakingly accurate and visceral portrayal of World War II American infantry in the dense forest of the Vosges region of France as the still formidable German Army fights desperately to defend the frontiers of the Reich. Meticulously researched, the author walks the battlefield to discover his father's experience and tells the story of courage under fire and the physical and psychological burden endured by soldiers of the U.S. Army in close combat.""--Albert F. Lord Jr., U.S. Army War College
""At 230 pages, the book is concise and well researched. Pages don't feel wasted, and as many of the oral stories and history within the book haven't been published before, readers will likely learn something new on almost every page. You get as much insight into the impact the war had on the French villagers and their families, as you do on Reyka's father and his regiment.""-- ""The Journal of America's Military Past"" ""...a pleasant read and a bit of a ""how-to"" manual on researching a relative's involvement in WWII.""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"" ""Michael Reyka tells a painstakingly accurate and visceral portrayal of World War II American infantry in the dense forest of the Vosges region of France as the still formidable German Army fights desperately to defend the frontiers of the Reich. Meticulously researched, the author walks the battlefield to discover his father's experience and tells the story of courage under fire and the physical and psychological burden endured by soldiers of the U.S. Army in close combat.""--Albert F. Lord Jr., U.S. Army War College
Author Information
Michael Reyka is a small-unit historian specializing in the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division “Thunderbirds,” and their experiences in the European Theater of World War Two. He was inspired by his father’s service and set out on an eight-year journey to find and document his father’s experiences and those of his fellow soldiers. This led him to develop a unique and authentic insight into combat leadership, cohesion, and survival demonstrated by infantry troops in an otherwise unknown battle in eastern France. He has recently completed a successful career as Chief Operating Officer for a behavioral health hospital and health system. Previously serving as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of community hospitals, his prior clinical career involved the delivery of emergency services. In addition, he taught Organizational Theory and Organizational Behavior at Gettysburg College. Michael now lives with his wife in the rural mountains of western Maryland where he continues his research and writing.
