Every Man a Hero

A Memoir of D-Day, the First Wave at Omaha Beach, and a World at War

By: Ray Lambert, Jim DeFelice

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

AN EXTRAORDINARY AND UNFORGETTABLE NEW FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF D-DAY

Seventy-five years ago, he hit Omaha Beach with the first wave. Now Ray Lambert, ninety-eight years old, delivers one of the most remarkable memoirs of our time, a tour-de-force of remembrance evoking his role as a decorated World War II medic who risked his life to save the heroes of D-Day.

At five a.m. on June 6, 1944, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ray Lambert worked his way through a throng of nervous soldiers to a wind-swept deck on a troopship off the coast of Normandy, France. A familiar voice cut through the wind and rumble of the ship’s engines. “Ray!” called his brother, Bill. Ray, head of a medical team for the First Division’s famed 16th Infantry Regiment, had already won a silver star in 1943 for running through German lines to rescue trapped men, one of countless rescues he’d made in North Africa and Sicily.

“This is going to be the worst yet,” Ray told his brother, who served alongside him throughout the war.

“If I don’t make it,” said Bill, “take care of my family.”

“I will,” said Ray. He thought about his wife and son–a boy he had yet to see. “Same for me.” The words were barely out of Ray’s mouth when a shout came from below.

To the landing craft!

The brothers parted. Their destinies lay ten miles away, on the bloodiest shore of Normandy, a plot of Omaha Beach ironically code named “Easy Red.”

Less than five hours later, after saving dozens of lives and being wounded at least three separate times, Ray would lose consciousness in the shallow water of the beach under heavy fire. He would wake on the deck of a landing ship to find his battered brother clinging to life next to him.

Every Man a Hero is the unforgettable story not only of what happened in the incredible and desperate hours on Omaha Beach, but of the bravery and courage that preceded them, throughout the Second World War—from the sands of Africa, through the treacherous mountain passes of Sicily, and beyond to the greatest military victory the world has ever known.

Great book about a great man

If you have any interest in WW 11, this book is for you. Great narration really fitting what one might imagine Lambert would sound like.

Engaging!

I started off only listening in the car while driving then I found myself craving to listen while at a desk!

I enjoyed being right there with Mr. Lambert as his adventures took him all over the world. It has definitely sparked my interest to hear more about the war from the perspective of a soldier.

Battlefield Injuries and those who treat

Great story and well worth the read. This story tells a new side not usually covered by most WW II books.

Highly recommend!

Great story told so well! I appreciate when a narrator tells a story and isn’t just reading to me. I highly recommend.

Not just a history of Omaha Beach or WW 2

This is an exceptional history of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One) from an individual medic's point of view. This is an influential book and story that I hope my sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters will read. However, it is much more. One surprise for me in this book was how Ray's description of his family and how he was raised resonated with my recollections of my father. It gave me a fresh look into him and his experiences (USMC Corpsman at Guadalcanal). The experiences that Ray relates here helped me understand my father better. This book is well researched and documented. Because of it, I am reading more history of the Big Red One.