North of Boston Salute to Veterans SIGNED WWII D-Day Morley Piper 29th Infantry For Sale

NORTH OF BOSTON: SALUTE TO VETERANS
North of Boston Media Group / The Eagle-TribunePediment Publishing2013ISBN 978-1-59725-455-7
VETERAN-ASSOCIATED COPY WITH MULTIPLE INSCRIPTIONS
An especially interesting copy of this substantial regional military-history book documenting the experiences of veterans from communities north of Boston and southern New Hampshire.
Published in 2013, North of Boston: Salute to Veterans was created as a photographic and oral-history tribute to generations of local servicemen and women, covering American military service from the Civil War through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The project drew heavily upon photographs, memorabilia and firsthand stories supplied by veterans and their families.
This particular copy is especially collectible because it contains handwritten inscriptions associated with several of the veterans whose stories appear within the book.
MORLEY PIPER — D-DAY / OMAHA BEACH
One of the most important features in the book is "A D-Day Remembrance," the firsthand account of World War II veteran Morley Piper.
Above Piper's article is a handwritten inscription appearing to read:
"To Leigh — With Admiration — Morley L. Piper"
Piper's printed account describes his extraordinary experience on June 6, 1944.
He writes that he was a young 2nd lieutenant assigned to lead a rifle platoon of 42 soldiers in the 29th Infantry Division onto Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
His account describes climbing down rope ladders into landing craft in the early morning darkness, approaching the French coast under German fire, seeing explosions strike the shore, and finally leaving the landing craft in high-deep water.
It is an exceptionally powerful firsthand account of one of the defining battles of World War II.
The presence of what appears to be Piper's personal inscription directly above his own D-Day story makes this copy particularly meaningful.
KENNETH BOYD — WWII B-24 BOMBER PILOT
Another feature tells the story of Kenneth Boyd of Haverhill.
Boyd joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 and became a pilot. After flying anti-submarine missions along the Virginia coast, he was deployed to England to fly bombing missions over Nazi targets in a B-24 Liberator.
His story includes a dramatic account of a returning bombing mission during which his aircraft encountered German anti-aircraft fire and his tail gunner was severely wounded.
A handwritten "Ken Boyd" appears at the top of Boyd's feature in this copy.
CHRISTINE TRON — DESERT STORM
The book extends beyond World War II and documents later generations of American veterans.
One photographed feature identifies Christine Tron of Peabody, Massachusetts, who served as an interrogator during Desert Storm in 1991.
A handwritten inscription appears directly on her photograph in this copy.
MASTER SGT. LEIGH E. SMITH JR. — SALEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Of particular interest is a separate biographical sheet clipped into this copy beside the section featuring Master Sgt. Leigh E. Smith Jr.
The sheet identifies him as:
Salem, New Hampshire nativeLeigh E. Smith Jr.Salem High School graduate — June 1984Enlisted in the U.S. Army — March 1984Served 22 yearsRetired as a Master Sergeant — 2006
The printed caption in the book further documents Smith's Army career, including basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, service with the Berlin Brigade when the Berlin Wall came down, and the conclusion of his 22-year military career.
Because Morley Piper's handwritten inscription is addressed "To Leigh," and this copy contains the additional biographical material for Leigh E. Smith Jr., the book appears to have a direct association with Smith.
That makes this much more personal than a standard commercially sold copy.
A REGIONAL MILITARY HISTORY ARCHIVE
The hardcover is extensively illustrated with historic photographs, portraits, military photographs and firsthand recollections contributed by veterans and their families.
The stories document ordinary men and women who experienced extraordinary moments in American military history.
Subjects include:
• Civil War through modern American conflicts• World War II• D-Day and Omaha Beach• 29th Infantry Division• Army Air Corps• B-24 Liberator bomber crews• European Theater• Pacific Theater• Korea• Vietnam• Cold War service• Berlin Brigade• Desert Storm• Iraq• Afghanistan• U.S. Army• U.S. Army Air Forces• U.S. Navy• U.S. Marine Corps• U.S. Air Force• Veterans from Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Unlike a general military-history book, much of the material is intensely personal: veterans recount what they saw, what happened to the people around them, and how military service affected their lives.
COLLECTOR SIGNIFICANCE
Standard copies of North of Boston: Salute to Veterans can still be found.
This copy is different.
The combination of multiple apparent veteran inscriptions, the personalized Morley Piper D-Day inscription, the Kenneth Boyd marking, the Christine Tron inscription and the inserted biographical material for Master Sgt. Leigh E. Smith Jr. gives this copy a unique association with the people whose stories it preserves.
Especially desirable for a collector of:
• WWII Veteran Autographs• D-Day / Normandy History• Omaha Beach• 29th Infantry Division• WWII Army Air Corps• B-24 Liberator History• Desert Storm• New Hampshire Military History• Massachusetts Military History• Salem NH History• Haverhill MA History• Merrimack Valley History• Veteran Oral Histories• Signed Military Books
The handwriting has not been professionally authenticated and is represented exactly as found and photographed.
A compelling veteran-associated copy preserving the personal stories of New England men and women who served from World War II through America's modern conflicts.
Offered by Echoes of WWII.