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Buried on the Battlefield – Signed

“Is this much to ask, considering they took all I had in the world. My whole life’s work. Would it be asking too much to have just one son’s remains back, that I might lay a few flowers on it, to ease just a small bit of pain?”

~ Tessie Fast, mother of Guido and J.B. Fast ("Return of the Dead from World War Two", Chapter 22)

Buried on the Battlefield: Not My Boy
 | The Return of the Dead From World War Two“The War Dead Return”

“A moving tribute to fallen soldiers and their survivors.” — Kirkus Reviews

Buried on the Battlefield – Not My Boy: The Return of the Dead from World War Two is the new book by WW2 Researcher and Historian, William L. “Bill” Beigel.

This is the forgotten story of the American World War II dead. Told from personal family letters, official documents, contemporary magazine and newspaper articles, historical research, and previously unpublished photographs, this is the first book to fully describe the return of the valiant dead to America after World War II, in tribute to those who gave their lives, as well as to those who mercifully brought them home.

Few people know that the United States was the only nation to bring home our war dead after World War II. The bodies of America’s fallen were removed from foreign graves across the globe, often years after they died. More than 280,000 were recovered, leaving that number of American families with an agonizing choice: return their beloved sons to the homeland, or let them rest in military cemeteries overseas in the countries they died to liberate.

Some of our allies were strongly against the idea, fearing their citizens’ reactions to not being able to bring home their own sons. But it was done because American families demanded it: not as a collective, organized effort, but one family – one father, mother, widow, or sibling – at a time.

Click here to order a signed copy of Buried on the Battlefield by William L. Beigel.



“Thus will open one of the grimmest pageants ever staged by man – America’s war-dead reburial project.”

~ C. Lester Walker, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 August 1947

To book Bill to speak at your event or to do a book reading, please write to speaker@ww2research.com.

For information about reprint permissions, please write to publishing@ww2research.com.

  • Wee Willie and the photo that started it all

    My father was Paul D Jessop, he spoke of your Grandfather a lot. My father passed away in 2011 .

  • The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)

    Hi Bill, Thanks for putting this together. My grand uncle, 2nd Lt. Robert L. Woolfolk attended UCLA and I believe he graduated in 1936. He was on the waterpolo team. He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. He and six others perished while three were able bail out and became POWs. This is written up the in the book "Bloody Skies: U.S. Eighth Air Force Battle Damage in World War II." There is a B-17G tail gunner's compartment on display at the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to this crew. Regards, Nick Veronico

  • Bill’s WW2 Almanac for January 21: Featuring Col. Randy’s Flying Circus

    Hi! Randall Col Randy is actually my great grandfather and I was wandering if you ever new him? I am curious to know more about him.

  • Women in WWII: Cornelia Clark Fort

    Interesting....very hard to know the 'who hit who'.....Fort had enough flying time to be a instructor, I know nothing about the other pilot. If Pastor Jeff had information on her being talked into a situation, I would love to know if reliable. Regardless, so many losses in so many ways.... My take is the WAFS/WASPS deserve a bit more of history's 'time in the books'. Many thanks for the commentary, Starr

  • Remembering the Fallen: WWII Veterans of UCLA, Major Robert C. Maze

    Bill, Are you still working on this blog? Rosemarie is my mother in law. She passed away 10 years ago. Her (and Roberts') son Robert Maze Jr is alive and well. I was googling Admiral Radford and ended up googling links... Thank you for your efforts here. Kim Woods

  • From Panatella to Ploesti

    I’m looking for information on My Great great GRANDFATHER WAS ON A B-24 LIBERATOR CALLED: Diamond li
8th air force ascend charlie Author Bill Beigel B-24 b-24 Liberator Bill Beigel fiction D-Day dday june 6 1944 MIA Missing in Action P-47 Thunderbolt P-51 Mustang POW war casualty research world war 2 casualties world war 2 research World War II WW2 WWII

Bill’s WWII Almanac

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