In the infantry, dying is a necessary cost of doing business. If the infantryman survives his first battle, he comes to expect losses because it is the infantry that moves the arrows forward on the map -- and advancement has its price. It is the job of the generals to see that the most is gained with the least loss. If the strategy is sound and the operation goes well, the losses are accepted and the process begins again. There are those times, however infrequent, when everything goes wrong, nothing is gained, and even the most veteran officers and men must search deep within themselves to reconcile the terrible losses. This is the story of such a time and of the men the 36th "Texas" infantry Division who fought in the Rapido River battle but refused to accept the official explanation of why so many were called to such a great sacrifice. In interviewing over one hundred men from the 36th Division who fought at the Rapido, two emotions stand out. First is the loyalty and love that the men have for each other.

Theirs is a close bond forged in the cold and mud of the Italian winter, when supplies were short and replacements for heavy losses of men were slow to arrive. One man stated that he was closer to the men in his company than to any of his brothers. This closeness is at the heart of the Rapido story. The second is the bravery of the men who went forward in a battle where victory was less likely than death. This is not a story of just the few whose deeds of heroism stand out but, rather, of the average soldier who was called upon to go about the business of war day after day. They did not flinch from their responsibility and they did not stand out for special recognition. Thus, the emphasis of this book is not upon the politics and personalities within the command structure. Instead, it is the view from the foxhole with a broad overview of the politics and the commanders.