At first light : a true World War II story of a hero, his bravery, and an amazing horse /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Winner of The Page Turner Non-Fiction Book Award, The Page Turner Golden Author Award, and The Page Turner Best Book Award in True Stories

What makes 2nd Lieutenant Phil Larimore's story special is what happened in World War II's closing days and the people--and horses--he interacted with in this Forrest Gump-like tale that is emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

Growing up in the 1930s in Memphis, Tennessee, Phil Larimore is the ultimate Boy Scout--able to read maps, put a compass to good use, and traverse wild swamps and desolate canyons. His other great skill is riding horses.

Phil does poorly in school, however, leading his parents send to him to a military academy. After Pearl Harbor, Phil realizes he is destined for war. Three weeks before his eighteenth birthday, he becomes the youngest candidate to ever graduate from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Landing on the Anzio beachhead in February 1944, Phil is put in charge of an Ammunition Pioneer Platoon in the 3rd Infantry Division. Their job: deliver ammunition to the frontline foxholes--a dangerous assignment involving regular forays into No Man's Land.

As Phil fights his way up the Italian boot, into Southern France and across the Rhine River into Germany, he is caught up in some of the most intense combat ever. But it's what happens in the final stages of the war and his homecoming that makes Phil's story incredibly special and heartwarming.

An emotional tale of courage, daring, and heroism, At First Light will remind you of the indomitable human spirit that lives in all of us.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• A Note to the Reader (p. xvii)
• Prologue (p. 1)
• Part I Preparing for War
• 1 The Little Stink (p. 9)
• 2 The Big Muddy (p. 15)
• 3 A Day of Infamy (p. 21)
• 4 On to Benning (p. 26)
• 5 Capture the Flag (p. 30)
• 6 The School Solution (p. 35)
• 7 Flying Coffins (p. 40)
• 8 Platform Girls (p. 45)
• 9 Drafts and Scotch (p. 50)
• 10 Führerville (p. 54)
• 11 Final Preparations (p. 59)
• Part II The Italian Campaign
• 12 Shipping Out (p. 67)
• 13 Meeting Magellan (p. 72)
• 14 Getting Prepped for Hell (p. 77)
• 15 Into No Man's Land (p. 81)
• 16 Opening Salvo (p. 86)
• 17 Baptism by Fire (p. 93)
• 18 Mules to the Rescue (p. 99)
• 19 Breaking Out (p. 105)
• 20 All Roads Lead to Rome (p. 111)
• 21 A Roman Holiday (p. 114)
• Part III The French Campaign
• 22 Côte D'azur's D-Day (p. 121)
• 23 Heroes and Liberators (p. 125)
• 24 The Horror of Montélimar (p. 130)
• 25 A Thrilling Roundup (p. 134)
• 26 The Champagne Campaign (p. 139)
• 27 Cruel Combat (p. 146)
• 28 An Explosive War (p. 151)
• 29 The Vicious Vosges (p. 157)
• 30 Point-Blank Range (p. 163)
• 31 Recovery with Murph (p. 167)
• 32 Back to the Front (p. 173)
• 33 Cold Misery (p. 178)
• 34 The Maison Rouge Bridge (p. 185)
• 35 A Disastrous Reception (p. 192)
• 36 Taking a Licking (p. 197)
• 37 The Big Dance (p. 205)
• Part IV The German Campaign
• 38 Dragon's Teeth (p. 213)
• 39 Crossing the Rhine (p. 218)
• 40 A Secret Mission (p. 223)
• 41 Operation Lipizzaner (p. 229)
• 42 Ride of a Lifetime (p. 234)
• 43 Helmet Trick (p. 239)
• 44 Perfect Timing (p. 245)
• 45 No Spa Day (p. 250)
• 46 Nowhere to Go (p. 254)
• 47 The Sound of a Gunshot (p. 262)
• 48 Homeward Bound (p. 266)
• Part V Aftermath
• 49 Bitter or Better? (p. 275)
• 50 Back in the Saddle Again (p. 282)
• 51 In the Hunt (p. 288)
• 52 A Christmas Reunion (p. 293)
• 53 A Hopeful Future (p. 299)
• 54 Burying Heroes (p. 305)
• 55 A Fountain of Hope (p. 313)
• 56 One-Leg Lead (p. 318)
• 57 Game of the Century (p. 324)
• 58 The Appeal (p. 330)
• 59 The Great Debate (p. 335)
• 60 Decision Time (p. 339)
• 61 The Auction (p. 348)
• Epilogue (p. 355)
• Final Thought (p. 367)
• Photo Gallery (p. 369)
• Appendix A Acknowledgments (p. 387)
• Appendix B About the Authors (p. 393)
• Appendix C The Pioneer Larimores and Their Horses (p. 395)
• Appendix D Those Who Fought with Philip B. Larimore, Jr (p. 399)
• Appendix E Timeline for Phil Larimore (p. 403)
• Appendix F Glossary and Abbreviations (p. 407)
• Appendix G Bibliography (p. 411)
• Appendix H Citations (p. 431)
• Appendix I Index (p. 444)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Walt Larimore is a prolific author and has written or co-written forty books, thirty medical textbook chapters, and over 1,000 articles in various medical journals and lay magazines. His books have garnered a number of national awards, including three Gold Medallion Award nominations, a Book of the Year Award from ECPA, and most recently, At First Light received the "Highly Commended" and "Finalist" awards at the international 2020 Page Turner Awards. Dr. Larimore has also authored four novels and five memoir-style bestsellers.

Walt's website is www.DrWalt.com and his Twitter handle is @WaltLarimore.

Mike Yorkey is a veteran author who has worked with a considerable number of high-profile speakers, authors, and sports figures over the last twenty-five years. He has authored and co-authored (as a collaborator) more than 110 books in many genres.

Mike's website is www.mikeyorkey.com, and his Twitter handle is @MikeYorkey.