247:. Sam rises to the rank of Major before the war ends, and falls in love with and marries General Caldwell's daughter, Tommy, who swore she would never marry a service member knowing the hard life they live. He meets Major Courtney Massengale, who has his sights set on achieving great success through his military service and with assistance from his Senator uncle, by chance at a cafe. Damon and Tommy start their Army career together at Fort Hardee, a desolate fort that leaves Sam less than thrilled and that Tommy despises. Sam is demoted back to a 1st Lieutenant upon returning from the war and learns the hard way about the favoritism that plagues the Army (especially for those that graduated from West Point). Damon continues to build a reputation of always looking out for his soldiers, even if that means harming his own career progression in the political military climate.
417:"Today’s generation has spent a great deal of time in the field and very little in the classroom or on the staff. Many are unduly contemptuous about serving in the purgatory of the Washington bureaucracy and treat staff time as an unwelcome interlude between assignments in the field. Perhaps the pull of the Sam track has made too many commanders out of officers whose place is on a staff, and too few brilliant staff officers who choose to leave right in the midst of their most productive years because they failed to make the cut for the next command."
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tour culminates in the disastrous
Operation Palladium commanded by Corps Commander General Massengale, who does not send reinforcements to Damon's position despite promising to. He instead sends the reinforcements to a location already victorious, so he can be seen riding in with glory. This interlude features the death of Krisler during Palladium, as Damon is severely wounded but is able to preserve victory against all odds.
259:, including Sam's interactions with Massengale, who we learn cares little to none about the service members below him and only about his career, his best friend and confidante Ben Krisler, and the birth of the Damons' children, Donny and Peg, as the family move from one military outpost to another, including a stint in the
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portraying
Courtney Massengale. The first and last installments of the seven-part series broadcast two hours each, while the interim episodes each broadcast for 60 minutes. The mini-series concerns the thirty year careers of two military men, from the outbreak of World War I to the aftermath of World
169:
tells the story of Sam Damon, career Army officer, from his initial enlistment as a private to his rise to general officer rank. Damon is an honorable soldier who rises in rank by success in field command, and cares for the welfare of his troops. His career is contrasted with that of another soldier,
275:
and Damon's promotion to division commander. Sam learns that his son has died while in Europe, when his parachute failed to open. Donny left college to enlist, telling his father that he needed to fight evil in the world. Tommy struggles with the separation and fear her son will be harmed. Damon's
377:
as time tested epics of war and warriors. The spirit, the heart and, yes, the soul of the officer corps is captured, as are the intangible ambiance and nuances that make up the life of the
American soldier and his family. It is for these reasons and more that the Army War College Foundation has
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The book has also been on the Army Chief of Staff's, Air Force Chief of Staff's, and the Marine Corps
Commandant's recommended reading list for professional development, and is currently on the U.S. Military Academy at West Point recommended reading as well.
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has more to teach about leadership – whether it is in the boardroom or on the battlefield – than a score of modern-day management texts. It is a primer that lays out, through the lives of its two main characters, lessons on how and how not to lead."
45:
170:
Courtney
Massengale, who has no honor, no concern for his troops, and rises in rank through staff positions by cunning and political connections. As the two rise in the ranks together, they frequently clash in their views.
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has been the literary moral compass for me and my family of soldiers for more than two generations. Its ethical message is as fresh and relevant today as it was when
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The final book finds Sam Damon once again in
Southeast Asia, this time as an adviser to an escalating conflict in Khotiane, an allegorical name for
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227:, Sam decides to enlist in the Army. This section contains Damon's experiences in basic training and deployment south of the border during the
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288:. He finds himself opposing General Massengale's desire to increase American participation in the conflict, which Damon views as calamitous.
361:, a former Marine enlisted man, began the exhaustive and painstaking research that produced this classic novel of soldiers and soldiering.
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165:. The novel takes place between the 1910s and 1960s, and covers many of the United States' military involvements during that period.
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as " classic novel of war and warriors. Sam Damon doesn't preach, he lives his values and they are universal, not only military."
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Courtney
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General George
Caldwell (Sam Damon's Commanding Officer during World War I, Father of Tommy Caldwell Damon)
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440:, based on the book and directed by Richard Michaels and E.W. Swackhamer. It aired as part of NBC's
677:"Becker, Elizabeth, "Military Goes by the Book, but It's a Novel", New York Times, August 16, 1999"
223:, during which he earns his nickname "The Night Clerk." After being put on a wait list to attend
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has been a favorite of
American military men and women since its writing. The book appears on the
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Sam Damon (Protagonist. Honorable, forthright officer dedicated to the Army and his soldiers)
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in 2013 however, Scales claimed that the novel's effects damaged the Army's officer corps:
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Though seldom noted, Sam Damon's character is partly based on the real life Major
General
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763:"O! The damage 'Once an Eagle' has done to my Army — and yes, it is partly my fault"
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Tommy Caldwell Damon (Sam Damon's Wife, Daughter of General George Caldwell)
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This section covers the young Sam Damon's formative years in small town in
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Ben Krisler (Sam's best friend during the interwar years and World War II)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/Samuel_Tankersley_Williams?wprov=sfti1
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449:. The miniseries was written by Peter S. Fischer and starred
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Foundation published an edition with a foreword by General
326:(1895 to 1986). General Chase's career is described in
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based on the book was aired on NBC in 1976, with actor
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In 1976, NBC created a nine-hour American television
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undertaken to republish Anton Myrer’s masterpiece."
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Front Line General, The Commands of William C. Chase
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761:Ricks, Thomas A. (18 December 2013).
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470:Once An Eagle: A Reader's Companion
867:American novels adapted into films
318:Emily Massengale (Courtney's wife)
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315:Donny Damon (Sam and Tommy's son)
738:Robert Stone (October 5, 2000).
655:or read about a similar general
563:The Intruder: A Novel of Boston
257:time between the two world wars
887:Novels set during World War II
742:. The New York Review of Books
374:All Quiet on the Western Front
351:United States Army War College
1:
882:Novels set during World War I
740:"Battle Hymn of the Republic"
239:Damon's service takes off in
872:Henry Holt and Company books
811:Once An Eagle: Idol or Idle?
231:, though he sees no combat.
472:. O-A-E Enterprises, 2006.
91:Holt, Rinehart, and Winston
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862:American historical novels
487:. O-A-E Enterprises, 2008.
189:United States Marine Corps
32:Once an Eagle (miniseries)
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409:." In an interview with
355:John William Vessey, Jr.
255:This section covers the
53:paperback edition (2001)
809:Christopher L. Wilson.
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206:portraying Sam Damon.
877:Novels by Anton Myrer
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340:H. Norman Schwarzkopf
334:Literary significance
200:television miniseries
857:1968 American novels
641:The Last Convertible
587:The Last Convertible
405:wrote it during the
368:Red Badge of Courage
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27:Novel by Anton Myrer
161:by American author
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683:. August 16, 1999.
681:The New York Times
539:Evil Under the Sun
483:Hebert, Thomas W.
468:Hebert, Thomas W.
434:, likewise titled
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547:The Big War
524:Anton Myrer
455:Cliff Potts
451:Sam Elliott
426:Adaptations
403:Anton Myrer
365:ranks with
359:Anton Myrer
261:Philippines
241:World War I
204:Sam Elliott
163:Anton Myrer
63:Anton Myrer
51:HarperTorch
851:Categories
792:|ref=
772:30 October
705:2020-08-19
663:References
432:miniseries
393:Maj. Gen.
342:described
292:Characters
225:West Point
193:West Point
185:Commandant
157:is a 1968
782:cite news
625:TV series
522:Works by
159:war novel
124:Paperback
87:Publisher
81:War novel
49:Cover to
814:Infantry
714:cite web
458:War II.
381:General
338:General
330:(1975).
221:Nebraska
173:A No. 1
120:Hardback
69:Language
746:May 18,
286:Vietnam
118:Print (
72:English
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644:(1979)
636:(1976)
617:(1958)
598:(1981)
590:(1978)
582:(1973)
574:(1968)
566:(1965)
558:(1962)
550:(1957)
542:(1951)
531:Novels
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122:&
59:Author
131:Pages
77:Genre
832:IMDb
797:help
774:2019
748:2014
720:link
474:ISBN
371:and
210:Plot
140:ISBN
134:1312
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