Publisher's Synopsis
Through firsthand accounts, historical photographs, and original maps, Longshore Soldiers recounts the wartime experiences of Cortland Hopkins and ten other port battalion veterans. As part of the US Army's Transportation Corps, they were responsible for ensuring that thousands of tons of military supplies were packed, unloaded, and delivered to the front lines. Moving from training stateside, to supply operations on the beaches of Normandy, to dock work in the massive, high-risk seaport of Antwerp, Belgium, and finally to deactivation, Andrew Brozyna offers a compelling narrative of what daily life was like in this remarkable yet often overlooked service. Perhaps most importantly, Brozyna's use of personal histories as the basis for examining the logistics of WWII's European theater ensures that readers never lose sight of the individuals involved.