Death Before Dishonor: Memoirs of a WWII Ambulance Driver - Paperback

by Kenneth Brennan (Author)

When Ken Brennan was classified 4-F "the registrant is not acceptable for military service" due to a childhood leg injury, he joined the American Field Service, a group of volunteers who drove Red Cross ambulances for the British Army during World War II. Told through vivid diaries and letters Ken wrote from 1942 until 1945, he chronicles how he battled dysentery, dodged mine fields, sought safety from German bombing raids, and negotiated Italy's snowy Apennine Mountain passes to carry wounded soldiers from field hospital tents. Ken's unique first-hand account of an important part of WWII history reminds us of how selfless service and untold sacrifices were made by those men who performed the crucial role of rescuing soldiers and bringing them to safety during the war.

Author Biography

Ken Brennan grew up in Rockville Centre, New York. When Ken turned 18 he was rejected from the World War II draft board because of a childhood baseball injury. Instead he joined the American Field Service, a corps of volunteer ambulance drivers who carried wounded soldiers. In 1946 Ken married Joan Longley. They had two children, Barbara and Michael. In 1959 they moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida where Ken enjoyed a long career in the space industry. Ken died in 1986 at the age of 62. He is survived by his wife and children.