Goodreads Reviews: Call of Duty

 

Call of Duty: My Life Before, During and After the Band of Brothers by Lynn Compton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unlike most men from Easy Company who came from quiet backgrounds in the country or the noisy streets of the inner-cities, Buck Compton grew up in the shadow of glamorous Las Angeles. At an early age he was doing bit parts in films to help his family. The stories he had to tell about the celebrities he met as a child are priceless. However, his family life was far from happy. When Buck was a teenager, his father, worn down from the Great Depression committed suicide. This brought Buck's mother into a withdrawn state and from there, Buck was left on his own. Even a soldier then, Buck carried on.

In high school he excelled at baseball and football which earned him a scholarship at UCLA. Most of Buck's memories in college are either about sports or his time in his fraternity (of which haven't changed at all). Then the war came and like the rest of America, Buck's life in college and his future dreams were put on hold to fight.

Buck signed up for the 101st Airborne and was sent to Easy Company. As an officer, Buck was encouraged not to fraternize with the enlisted men, but Buck Compton did what he wanted. He enjoyed the company of the NCOs over that of the other high and mighty officers who tended to look down on the lower ranks. Buck's closest friends were Don Malarkey, Skip Muck and Bill Guarnere. They all served together in France, the Netherlands and Bastogne. And it was in Bastogne where they all parted.

Like it did with so many men, the Battle of the Bulge did irreparable damage to the hearts and minds of the soldiers who fought and either died or survived. Buck's service to his country ended in Bastogne when he succumbed to shock and was unable to function afterwards. While that may have been the end to his military career, Buck would spend the rest of his life in duty to his country.

From the LAPD to the Supreme court (where he was involved in the case of Bobby Kennedy's assassin Sirhan Sirhan), Buck's post-war life was fascinating and left no room for a dull moment. An ardent patriot and American, Buck embodied the WWII spirit of Easy Company. His duty didn't end in Bastogne, it only opened the doors to a fulfilling life as a detective, a prosecutor, a family man, a war hero and a living legend.