The Lost Ranger: A Soldier's Story

The Lost Ranger is the story of United States Army Staff Sergeant Herbert Stanton Hull in the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion during World War II. It is a story of valor and fortitude. It is a complete analysis of the history of the battalion from 1943 until September 1944. This is the story of his service. He survived the bloody June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach. He was wounded by a landmine while assaulting a fort at Brest, France on September 2, 1944. The fighting was so severe that seventy-five percent of the unit became casualties where the collective memory of the unit was decimated. After lying on the battlefield for hours he was found by his fellow Rangers only to become lost. He was physically lost to his unit and then administratively to the official records of the unit. After returning home from battle, he then tragically died ten years later leaving behind his wife and four young children. When he died in 1954, all detailed knowledge of his service died with him. He became a lost Ranger. After exhaustive research, collaboration with historians and authors in the States and Europe, and through interviews with Ranger veterans and their families, this story details this specialized unit, where they went, what they did, and why they did it. More importantly, it examines how he was restored to history and brought home to a family who never really knew him.
Endorsements:
"This book is a wonderful example of what an author can accomplish by good research. Starting with a short note from his mother, and his grandfather's discharge papers and uniform, through diligent research, Mehlo has produced a marvel of detail and a complete, thoroughly engrossing story. The book is a must for anyone interested in the World War II Rangers or D-Day, or in the training that Infantry units were exposed to in their development into the fighting units that won the war."
Major General (r) John C. Raaen, Jr. Author of Intact: A First-Hand Account of the D-Day Invasion From a 5th Rangers Company Commander
"A remarkable work. Loaded with maps, photographs and detail. This book is a treasure of information, a tribute to a man, an elite American fighting force and a precious gift to American Military History. For those who want to learn how it was for brave Rangers in World War II, the answer is here."
Col (r) Robert W. Black Author of "The Battalion, The Ranger Force. Ranger Dawn and other works"
"It was a great honor and privilege to collaborate with Noel in creating this important piece of American History. It gave me the opportunity to provide a first hand account of the lives, struggles, hardships, and victories those in the US Army Rangers experienced. This book documents the life of a hero who was never recognized for his deeds until recently; a man I was proudly able to call comrade and friend."