Every Man a Hero

A Memoir of D-Day, the First Wave at Omaha Beach, and a World at War

By: Ray Lambert, Jim DeFelice

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

An extraordinary and unforgettable new firsthand account of D-Day.

Seventy-five years ago, he hit Omaha Beach with the first wave. Now, Ray Lambert, 98 years old, delivers one of the most remarkable memoirs of our time, a tour de force of remembrance evoking his role as a decorated World War II medic who risked his life to save the heroes of D-Day. 

At five a.m. on June 6, 1944, US Army Staff Sergeant Ray Lambert worked his way through a throng of nervous soldiers to a windswept deck on a troopship off the coast of Normandy, France. A familiar voice cut through the wind and rumble of the ship’s engines. “Ray!” called his brother, Bill. Ray, head of a medical team for the First Division’s famed 16th Infantry Regiment, had already won a silver star in 1943 for running through German lines to rescue trapped men, one of countless rescues he’d made in North Africa and Sicily. 

“This is going to be the worst yet,” Ray told his brother, who served alongside him throughout the war.

“If I don’t make it,” said Bill, “take care of my family.”

“I will,” said Ray. He thought about his wife and son - a boy he had yet to see. “Same for me.” The words were barely out of Ray’s mouth when a shout came from below.

To the landing craft!

The brothers parted. Their destinies lay 10 miles away, on the bloodiest shore of Normandy, a plot of Omaha Beach ironically code-named “Easy Red”.

Less than five hours later, after saving dozens of lives and being wounded at least three separate times, Ray would lose consciousness in the shallow water of the beach under heavy fire. He would wake on the deck of a landing ship to find his battered brother clinging to life next to him.

Every Man a Hero is the unforgettable story not only of what happened in the incredible and desperate hours on Omaha Beach, but of the bravery and courage that preceded them, throughout the Second World War - from the sands of Africa, through the treacherous mountain passes of Sicily, and beyond to the greatest military victory the world has ever known.

©2019 Ray Lambert and Jim DeFelice (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

A must read for fans of you are there WWII war memoirs

I am always on the lookout for personal accounts of anyone who was in active battles in the European sector in WWII, from any participant from any country involved.
This is as good as any I have found.
I’m not sure how I found it, but am so pleased that I did..

Not just a history of Omaha Beach or WW 2

This is an exceptional history of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One) from an individual medic's point of view. This is an influential book and story that I hope my sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters will read. However, it is much more. One surprise for me in this book was how Ray's description of his family and how he was raised resonated with my recollections of my father. It gave me a fresh look into him and his experiences (USMC Corpsman at Guadalcanal). The experiences that Ray relates here helped me understand my father better. This book is well researched and documented. Because of it, I am reading more history of the Big Red One.

Incredible. Highly recommend.

From one author to another, this book is superbly written. A true American hero. God Bless you, Mr. Lambert.

Truly Remarkable

As a veteran, I found many parts of Ray's story deeply moving. As an American, I loved hearing all of it. If more Americans took the time to understand the sacrifices made for their freedoms -- sacrifices like those described in this excellent book -- our nation probably wouldn't be in such a dismal state right now.

Great to Read just before visiting Normandy

The book is a wonderful story to read anytime but especially powerful to have in my mind just as I was visiting the sites at Normandy. The story is beautiful and the appendix details are worth listening to also.

A Definition of a Hero

A real look into one mans war and every mans war. As a Vietnam Vet I feel he speaks for all that have been in harms way.

Entertainment

Totally enjoyed all aspects, including not only the historical perspective but the actual performance. God Bless that generation!

Everyone Should Read This

If we loose or do not teach history, then not only are we destined to repeat it, we become a selfish, ungrateful people who do not adequately acknowledge what sacrifices came before us to give us what we have now. Additionally, we become spoiled and stupid.

This is an important story. Excellently written in a way that I could realistically visualize what was going on (without the story becoming dry, as histories often do), but also I could precisely envision the realism of Ray in those moments as a typical American boy being just…himself, in the middle of a horrific war. He deserves our respect, recognition, and praise, although he probably wouldn’t care to have it or not. He’s just humble like that.

Highly recommend!

Great story told so well! I appreciate when a narrator tells a story and isn’t just reading to me. I highly recommend.

Just incredible!! I felt like I was in a living room listening to my grandfather

Just incredible!! I felt like I was sitting in a chair, in a living room listening to my grandfather tell me his story. In my opinion all these men are heroes. It’s hard to imagine the terror they experienced. This book does a pretty good job of telling the story, from the perspective of a medic. Medics saw the worst of the damage inflicted by the creative ways we’ve invented to kill each other. This is told amazingly well. My mind never wandered.

The values of life taught through one man's story

I am unlikely to do this book justice through my primative few words. I have never felt so compelled to provide a review before or do I recall ever providing one, I'm a man of few words. I also do not recall ever reading a book and feeling so emotional, or connected. Ray asks something so simple of us all, that I will not spoil for future readers to understand for themselves or interrupt. Aside to the ask from my simple understanding the legacy of these brave, courageous souls is not to be forgotten and that the every day stories are written now and recorded forever. The every man a hero portrayal is touching and will always stay with me. I thank you for the opportunity to have shared this story and be assured I will do my best every day to appreciate the value of sacrafice these truly brave souls made. I wish Ray and all that served and made the ultimate sacrafice an eternal thank you for our freedoms of today.

Wonderful new insights

This book is a testament to the medics of WW2 and D-Day. Ray’s story bringe to life new aspects of the landings, and how medics worked unselfishly to save as many men as possible, under the worst conditions possible.

The narrator is brilliant too. He brings the story of Ray’s life to life in such a realistic way, depicting the happiness and sadness of Ray’s story, to such an extend that it feels like it’s the real Ray speaking.