Dean Dominique

One Hell of a War: General Patton's 317th Infantry Regiment in Wwii Dean Dominique

Publisher Marketing: If you like "Band of Brothers," you will love "One Hell of a War"! Submitted for the Pulitzer Prize and the Library of Virginia Literary Award. "One Hell of a War" is a fascinating blend of firsthand accounts and the strategic decisions that led to them based on the history of the 317th Infantry Regiment from its initial activation in World War II through the end of the war. This book has all the elements everyone loved in "Band of Brothers" with the added integration of the strategic leadership decisions of Patton, Bradley and Eisenhower. Most interestingly, it contains well written and thought-provoking excerpts of the late Colonel James Hayes, who served with the regiment during its entire wartime service. The history books do not say a great deal about the 317th Infantry Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division in WWII. However, it was a regiment that accomplished rather startling results: first bridgehead across the Moselle, cleared out La Grande Couronne de Nancy, participated in the capture of Metz -- the first time in history that the fort had ever fallen to an assault, and, of course, participated in the Battle of the Bulge as one of the first regiments to arrive in the area after the German assault had broken the line. It suffered extremely severe casualties and contained some of the best men ever known. What others are saying about One Hell of a War... "Trust me, when you reach the section about the fighting and cold weather during the Battle of the Bulge, you'll want to put on a coat; it's that good." -Alexander Barnes, "In A Strange Land: The American Occupation Of Germany 1918-1923." "Dean does a masterful job of weaving the personal accounts into the historical context of the major operations. With so few WWII veterans left, books like these are valuable resources." -Rich Killblane, "The Filthy Thirteen. From the Dustbowl to Hitler's Eagle's Nest: The 101st Airborne's Most Legendary Squad of Combat Paratroopers. "Dean Dominique's new book, "One Hell of a War," knocks it out of the ballpark and is one of the best books I've read. It is as close to the action as you can get, remarkable, brave and courageous, as he leads you through the 317th's footsteps in WWII from the beginning to the end. You won't be able to put it down." -Andrew Z. Adkins III, "You Can't Get Much Closer Than This: Combat with Company H, 317th Infantry Regiment." All proceeds will be donated to programs that directly support Wounded Warriors. www.woundedwarriorpublications.com Contributor Bio:  Dominique, Dean Dean J. Dominique is a Cajun raised in the swamps of Gheens and Grand Bois in South Louisiana. He enlisted as a private in 1988 and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 1993. As an infantry officer, he completed both airborne and ranger training. Dean retired from the Army as a Major in 2009 after 20 years and two combat tours in Afghanistan and Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He is now living in Gainesville Virginia with his beautiful wife Elizabeth and their two wonderful children, Taylor and Nicholas. Colonel James H. Hayes was born in Constantinople in September 1916. At sixteen, he entered the Drexel Institute of Technology on a scholarship and earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. He joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in his junior year and secured an appointment to the United States Military Academy. In May 1942, he graduated second in his West Point class with a commission as a Second Lieutenant. After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course in September 1942, he reported to the 80th Infantry Division at Camp Forrest, Tennessee and was assigned to the 317th Infantry Regiment as a platoon leader. Over the next two years, rising quickly in rank, he served in positions of increasing responsibility. On August 3, 1944 (D+58), the 80th landed in Normandy as part of Patton's Third Army. Over the next 10 months, he fought in some of the bloodiest battles in the European Theater - the Avranches breakthrough, the capture of Metz, the first bridgehead across the Moselle River, and the Battle of the Bulge, to name a few. By war's end, he was a Battalion Commander and had received a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and a Purple Heart. In 1965, after twenty-three years of active duty, Colonel Hayes retired and moved his family to Los Angeles to begin a second career as a senior analyst in the Economics Department of the Rand Corporation. He was a prolific writer, producing a diverse portfolio of studies and articles. Among these were seminal works on officer and enlisted personnel management policies in the military. Colonel Hayes passed away in March 2008 at his home in Westlake Village, California, survived by his two grandsons, three sons, daughter, and wife of 61 years.