You’re a Good Man, Sergeant

Sergeant Paul S. Porter experienced combat like few soldiers have lived to write about. Serving with the Fourth Armored Division in Company B, 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion, Porter and his light machine gun squad entered the front line of World War II on July 17, 1944, and were soon in the thick of the action. The Fourth fought through the hedgerows of Normandy before leading Patton’s Third Army in its breakout and pursuit toward the German border. The slugfests that followed as the Fourth advanced through the mud and battered villages of the Alsace-Lorraine region were Porter’s most difficult of the war. For his heroic actions in combat on December 4, 1944, Sergeant Porter was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
This memoir presents the full story of Porter’s extraordinary service in his own candid words, illustrated with family photographs. He paints a vivid portrait of a young man coping with the unique pressures of the battlefield. His candor when describing his officers and fellow soldiers provides a sober view of the dynamics within a team when comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and motives. Sergeant Porter has an intense desire to survive yet possesses a resolve to enter the fray and engage in combat eye-to-eye with the enemy.

Paul S. Porter was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary heroism during WWII. He served with the famous U.S. Fourth Armored Division, the vanguard of Lt. General George S. Patton’s Third Army.

Colleen C. Porter is an entrepreneur, investor, and franchisee of Bud’s Broiler in New Orleans. She is also a professional vocalist and composer…and the proud daughter of Sgt. Porter.

Don M. Fox serves on the Board of Directors of the Army Historical Foundation and resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Paul S. Porter
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 207
Bibliographic Info: 58 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9570-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5373-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix

Preface by Colleen C. Porter 1

Preface by Don M. Fox 4

Introduction 11

Chapter 1—Welcome to Normandy 25

Chapter 2—Death of a Lieutenant 32

Chapter 3—Fighting Two Wars 41

Chapter 4—Leaving the Hedgerows Behind 49

Chapter 5—Don’t Mess with a Dragon 61

Chapter 6—Wine, Women and Troyes 72

Chapter 7—God Takes Care of Drunks and Fools 82

Chapter 8—The Mysteries of War 92

Chapter 9—A New Buck Sergeant 105

Chapter 10—Another Town to Clear 114

Chapter 11—Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death 131

Chapter 12—A Godforsaken Village 139

Epilogue 161

Chapter Notes 175

Bibliography 191

Index 193