The Danube ran red
The Danube ran red
Veterans of 395th Infantry Regiment cringe at the words "beautiful blue Danube." They vividly recall when the river ran red.
Vernon Swanson's new book, "The Red Danube" is an accurate accounting of that ill-fated river crossing during World War II.
It was on April 27, 1945, just 11 days before VE Day, that the 99th attempted a midday assault boat crossing of the Danube. Two companies of the 2nd Bn, 395, F and G, were decimated by a German SS Regiment on the opposite bank. This is the story of not only how, but why, it happened. Five characters in the book represent actual soldiers (German and American) who took part in that bloody battle. Those characters are used to narrate the story. But it's not fiction. It's fact.
This book is smaller and quite different in style from "Upfront With Charlie Company" which Swanson published in 1997. But it will be equally as highly regarded by veterans. "Charlie Company" was a sell-out, copies are now treasured by those who purchased them, and "Red Danube" will no doubt follow in that same path.
The book is being offered at cost, Swanson will reap no reward other than making the tragic story available to scholars, historians, and veterans. The price is $6.50 for the book plus $1.50 postage/handling, for a total of $8. Send your check or money order to Red Danube Publishing Co., 1541 Hawthorne Place, Deerfield IL 60015.
