Richard Philips Letsinger worked in England, France and Germany as a member of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) for the last two years of World War II. The majority of his time was spent as an assistant to Brigadier General Archibald Clough in the Map and Survey Section of G-3 Operations. The section was responsible for mapping the plans to invade continental Europe (OVERLORD). As such, Letsinger earned the security classification, BIGOT. This classification was between TOP SECRET and EYES ONLY. He regularly observed General Eisenhower, Field Marshal Tedder, Field Marshall Montgomery, General Smith and many other leaders during the planning of D-Day.

These memoirs contain Letsinger's wartime experiences culled from a vivid memory and the journals he maintained throughout his enlistment. In addition, he retained all correspondence from friends and family and has reproduced many of the letters here, giving a balanced picture of what was happening in his life, both home and away.