Beschrijving
The Sole Surviving Son documents the January, 1943, to October, 1945, wartime experiences of Thomas P. Lynch with the U.S. Army’s 167th Antiaircraft Gun Battalion as a radar operator, instructor and military policeman through his journal, photographs and letters home to his parents. Recipient of the Good Conduct Medal and four Bronze Battle Stars, Tom served protecting Allied naval ports and ships, military airports and aircraft, and supply lines in Africa, Italy and France. From an action standpoint, his battalion encountered 66 alerts over a 550-day span, firing a total of 9,224 90MM rounds, recording the definitive destruction of 10 enemy aircraft, 10 probable/possible kills, and one plane crippled.
Action is, however, not the entire focus of this documentary; action is minimal compared to that of many other WWII units and their stories. Rather, this book is a tale of human interest. It reveals how a successful, unofficially engaged, 31-year-old business owner adapts to life’s curveballs.
A key theme is the \