In Somewhere in France, Somewhere in Germany, Francis P. Sempa tells the
story of father's journey through the Second World War. Frank F. Sempa
entered military service as part of the 29th Infantry Division in April
1941, landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day-plus one, fought in the treacherous
hedgerows of Normandy, participated in the capture of St. Lo and the
siege of Brest, assaulted the fortifications of the Siegfried Line,
crossed the Rhine River, and reached the west bank of the Elbe River. He
earned the Bronze Star, Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Arrowhead, four
campaign ribbons, and the Good Conduct Medal. Throughout, Sempa
dutifully wrote letters home to his parents and brother. Using those
letters, local newspaper articles, the 29th Division's After Action
Reports, and several books about the history of the 29th Division in
World War II, Francis Sempa traces his father's steps from training
camps in the United States and England to the battlefields of France and
Germany.