Normandy to Dachau

About the Book

Normandy to Dachau tells the story of a young man who was drafted to fight during World War II.
R.H. Kiley shares that even though it was not uncommon for multiple children from the same family to go overseas to fight, Americans were solidly behind the mission to save the world from Nazi domination.
Kiley served in the 283rd Field Artillery Unit, which earned the distinction of being the longest continuously operating field artillery unit in World War II. The 283rd supported infantry advances in northern France, eventually crossing the Rhine River and into Germany.
The author was among the first troops to enter Dachau, where he witnessed the horrors of the Holocaust and the joy and relief of liberated surviving prisoners. He also arrived at Berchtesgaden shortly after the departure of the Germans.
This narrative is not an accounting of the author’s outstanding, heroic feats – although he does share how he successfully captured four German soldiers without a weapon. Rather, it’s an attempt to share recollections of everyday experiences over 2 ½ years as a soldier.
Some members of the 283rd were wounded, and some were killed. The survivors were left with vivid memories.

About the Author

R.H. Kiley was drafted into U.S. military service before graduating from high school in Philadelphia in 1943. He participated in the European Theater of Operations invasion from 1944 to 1945 in the Army’s 283rd Field Artillery Unit. After World War II, he returned to Philadelphia to marry Babs Ambrose, who he “chased” for twelve years; they raised three children. He was in the commercial heating and cooling business. He died in 2009 at age eighty-five.