Young Boy to American Warrior

BOYHOOD The scrawny raw-boned kid born during depression years acquired solid morals and values from his Irish mother while overcoming the hardship of having a runaway father. He got tough while building loyal relationships with his buddies in the streets and woods of Bordentown, New Jersey. Though living on the edge of poverty, their lives were rich with excitement and wonder as they explored the joys, threats, and challenges of being boys. U.S. ARMY Joe's admiration for men who were fighting in World War II inspired him to join the Army at the age of 18. He took to Army life like a duck to water. He thrived in its strict discipline and rigorous training. And, as he says, "I never ate so good in my life." Assigned to Occupation Duty in Japan he witnessed the effects of a devastating war while undergoing advanced infantry training. The lessons would soon be tested when the Korean War broke out. In July, 1950, Gen. Douglas MacArthur had to halt North Korean Communist troops as they overran the inadequate defenses of South Korea. He ordered a detachment of about 500 men from the 24th Infantry Division airlifted to Korea to face off against a far better equipped enemy force more than 100 times their size. This was Task Force Smith where Joe Langone would show what he was made or die trying. THE BOOK goes far beyond its focus on an historic military action. It is a touching personal account of how adversity makes a man out of a boy.