Vern Schmidt is one of the last (known) surviving veterans of the 90th Infantry Division. He is expected to celebrate his 100th birthday in January 2026. Arriving at the front line in late 1944, he did not fight at Normandy but in Germany, where he took part in the combat for the Siegfried Line, the crossing of the Moselle and the liberation of the Flossenbürg concentration camp. Throughout his life, he has wanted to share his experiences and pay tribute to all those who did not return.

In light of Vern’s many testimonies and his commitment to preserving the memory of the 90th Division and its men, three authors joined their forces to write a book summarizing his youth and his experience as a soldier. It is a book filled with humanity, just like Vern himself.

On the battlefield, one of the most dangerous jobs was certainly that of medic or stretcher bearer, as they were unarmed and exposed to fire from both sides and had to retrieve the wounded and try to bring them to the rear. Some couldn’t handle it, and many were killed or wounded. This was the case for Albred B. Copt, a medic with the 359th.