Patton's Lucky Scout: The Adventures of a Forward Observer for General Patton and the Third Army in Europe

The stories in this book are the memoirs of PFC Frank Wayne Martin, who served in the 328th regiment of the 26th Yankee Division in the Third Army during World War II.

As part of a group of advance observers, his task was to scout routes and German positions, usually far behind enemy lines, then to report back, often directly to General Patton and Lucky Forward (Patton's mobile headquarters; ''Lucky'' was the code name of the Third Army). Based on these reports and other intelligence, Patton decided where and how to advance. In short, PFC Martin's mission was to spearhead the Third Army drive across Europe.

Whether chatting up an enemy sniper in a tree or working with the French or German Underground or going without food for days, this is a memoir of survival. The personal account is full of humor and engaging stories, tales of a historic campaign seen through the eyes of an intelligent, trained observer.

One example of the dry humor: the field cookbook offered in an appendix, a glimpse of GI ingenuity, with eccentric ingredients and offbeat techniques for collecting and preparing food. Julia Child might turn up her nose, but these reflect the real experiences of a scout working beyond enemy lines, with a trench knife, well-tuned powers of observation, common sense, compassion, inventiveness, and a powerful drive for survival.