From Huntsville to Hell

This is the story of ordinary Americans, citizen soldiers, from towns all across America. leaving behind wives, sweethearts, parents and siblings, they endure hardships in war they could never have imagined. It is a story of the men of K Company who laughed, loved, suffered, and often died as they fought their way out of the hell of Anzio, and drove the enemy back to Germany. It is about their captain, MB Etheredge, from Huntsville, Texas, a school superintendent who gave up a career he had worked so hard to achieve, joining the Army as a buck private. The Army, however, recognized his ability and promoted him to 2nd Lieutenant. Arriving at the killing fields of Anzio as a junior officer, he continued to fight as he had all his life, winning the Silver Star for valor. During the Allied breakout of Anzio, he found himself the only surviving officer of K Company. In the hell of this savage battle he took command of K Company, leading the men to take an objective planned for three hundred men with tanks. When they had taken their objective there were only 14 survivors out of 180 men and officers. Always leading from the front, and always ready to do anything he told his men, he became a revered and respected leader. After the war he joined an old comrade in arms and fellow Texan, Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. Together they shared their knowledge with reservists bound for Korea, in training the 36th Division of Texas. Captain Etheredge would soon become Lieutenant Colonel Etheredge, a battalion commander with the 36th Division.