Fightin' Army #25

During basic training, a young soldier named Sam learns the life-saving importance of his steel helmet—the "steel halo"—when a drill instructor emphasizes its critical role in protecting against shrapnel and bullets. When Sam and his unit are deployed to the European theatre, he puts that lesson to the test, calling in air support against a German tank column deep in enemy territory. His quick action and the protection of his helmet prove invaluable when the fighting intensifies, leaving Sam grateful for the gear that keeps him alive.

A heavily fortified Alpine peak in Northern Italy has stalled the entire campaign—repeated assaults and bombing runs have failed to silence its massive gun emplacements. When specialized snow troops are brought in to tackle the fortress, Sergeant Dexter and PFC Buell find themselves racing through a winter assault to neutralize the German stronghold and open the road north. This 1958 war story delivers the grit and tactical precision that defined Fightin' Army's best work.

Corporal Opinski's recon squad faces their toughest assignment yet when they're sent to scout for enemy tanks in the Normandy woods and stumble upon an entire Panzer division. Pinned down and unable to retreat across open ground without getting cut to pieces, the squad must hold their position and call in American artillery and air support to take out the Nazi armor. It's a desperate gamble that puts the men right in the crossfire—but their reconnaissance work proves crucial to stopping the enemy advance.

Three American soldiers trapped behind enemy lines on Christmas Eve take in a young German prisoner they find hiding in a farmhouse cellar—and despite the mine fields and Nazi patrols closing in, they decide to give the boy a Christmas he won't forget. When the prisoner's loyalty is tested, the soldiers discover that sometimes the greatest gift in wartime isn't what you give, but what you receive in return.

Joe Summers returns to Saipan years after the war, haunted by fragmented memories of combat that have left him unable to wear the medals he earned. A chance meeting with an old commanding officer reveals the truth behind the confused nightmare that's plagued him ever since—a truth that may finally set him free. This is a gripping tale of a soldier's struggle to reconcile what he remembers with what actually happened on the battlefield.