Bracketing the Enemy: Forward Observers in World War II
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Bracketing the Enemy: Forward Observers in World War II
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Narrated by:
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Bob Johnson
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By:
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John R. Walker
About this listen
After the end of World War II, General George Patton declared that artillery had won the war. Yet howitzers did not achieve victory on their own. Crucial to the success of these big guns were forward observers, artillerymen on the front lines who directed the artillery fire. In Bracketing the Enemy, John R. Walker offers the first full-length history of forward observer teams during World War II. As early as the US Civil War, artillery fire could reach as far as two miles, but without an "FO" (forward observer) to report where the first shot had landed in relation to the target, and to direct subsequent fire by outlining or "bracketing" the targeted range, many of the advantages of longer-range fire were wasted. During World War II, FOs accompanied infantrymen on the front lines. Now, for the first time, gun crews could bring deadly accurate fire on enemy positions immediately as advancing riflemen encountered these enemy strongpoints. According to Walker, this transition from direct to indirect fire was one of the most important innovations to have occurred in ground combat in centuries.
Using the 37th Division in the Pacific Theater and the 87th in Europe as case studies, Walker presents a vivid picture of the dangers involved in FO duty and shows how vitally important forward observers were to the success of ground operations in a variety of scenarios.
Army Historical Foundation, Distinguished Writing Award. The book is published by University of Oklahoma Press.
©2013 University of Oklahoma Press (P)2016 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 449
While the Battle of Kursk has long captivated World War II aficionados, it has been unjustly overlooked by historians. Drawing on the masses of new information made available by the opening of the Russian military archives, Dennis E. Showalter at last corrects that error. This battle was the critical turning point on World War II's Eastern Front. In the aftermath of the Red Army's brutal repulse of the Germans at Stalingrad, the stakes could not have been higher.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Big Ups to Prof. Showalter and Audible
- By Placeholder on 08-28-13
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Leyte 1944
- The Soldiers' Battle
- By: Nathan N. Prefer
- Narrated by: Jones Allen
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 340
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 307
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 305
When General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia in March 1942, having successfully left the Philippines to organize a new American army, he vowed, "I shall return!" More than two years later he did return, at the head of a large U.S. army to retake the Philippines from the Japanese. The place of his re-invasion was the central Philippine Island of Leyte. Much has been written about the naval Battle of Leyte Gulf that his return provoked, but almost nothing has been written about the three-month long battle to seize Leyte itself.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very well Researched..
- By jbnimble on 04-19-14
By: Nathan N. Prefer
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South Pacific Cauldron
- World War II's Great Forgotten Battlegrounds
- By: Alan Rems
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
Unlike most other World War II accounts, this work covers the South Pacific operations in detail. The audiobook includes many now-forgotten operations that deserve to be well remembered. Significantly, the official Australian history of World War II correctly observed that Australia's part in the Pacific war is barely mentioned in American histories. This volume finally brings the major Australian contribution to the fore.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A little dry but informative
- By Damien on 02-20-15
By: Alan Rems
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Snow & Steel
- The Battle of the Bulge 1944-45
- By: Peter Caddick-Adams
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Tim Reynolds
- Length: 31 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 292
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 261
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 262
Between December 16, 1944 and January 15, 1945, American forces found themselves entrenched in the heavily forested Ardennes region of Belgium, France, and Luxembourg defending against an advancing German army amid freezing temperatures, deep snow, and dense fog. Operation Herbstnebel - Autumn Mist - was a massive German counter-offensive that stunned the Allies in its scope and intensity.
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3 out of 5 stars
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fascinating and thorough, painful narration
- By richard on 01-05-15
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Where the Iron Crosses Grow
- The Crimea 1941-44
- By: Robert Forczyk
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 170
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 158
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Story4 out of 5 stars 157
The Crimea was one of the crucibles of the war on the Eastern Front, where first a Soviet and then a German army were surrounded, fought desperate battles, and were eventually destroyed. The fighting in the region was unusual for the Eastern Front in many ways, in that naval supply, amphibious landings, and naval evacuation played major roles, while both sides were also conducting ethnic cleansing as part of their strategy - the Germans eliminating the Jews and the Soviets purging the region of Tartars.
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2 out of 5 stars
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names, places,troop strength and commanders
- By richard on 02-19-15
By: Robert Forczyk
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Korsun Pocket
- The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East, 1944
- By: Niklas Zetterling, Anders Frankson
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 89
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 81
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Story4 out of 5 stars 81
During the second half of 1943, after the failure at Kursk, Germany’s Army Group South fell back from Russia under repeated hammer blows from the Red Army. Under Erich von Manstein, however, the Germans were able to avoid serious defeats, while at the same time fending off Hitler’s insane orders to hold on to useless territory. Then, in January 1944, a disaster happened.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A wonderful historical narative
- By Joseph on 04-16-13
By: Niklas Zetterling, and others
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The Drive on Moscow, 1941
- Operation Taifun and Germany’s First Great Crisis of World War II
- By: Niklas Zetterling, Anders Frankson
- Narrated by: Dave Courvoisier
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 97
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 88
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Story4 out of 5 stars 85
At the end of September 1941, more than a million German soldiers lined up along the frontline just 180 miles west of Moscow. They were well trained, confident, and had good reasons to hope that the war in the East would be over with one last offensive. Facing them was an equally large Soviet force, but whose soldiers were neither as well trained nor as confident. When the Germans struck, disaster soon befell the Soviet defenders.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Add the maps, lose the accents
- By Carrick on 07-03-14
By: Niklas Zetterling, and others
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D-Day in the Pacific
- The Battle of Saipan
- By: Harold J. Goldberg
- Narrated by: Gary D. MacFadden
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
In June 1944, the attention of the nation was riveted on the events unfolding in France. But in the Pacific, the Battle of Saipan was of extreme strategic importance. D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic engagements of World War II. The conquest of Saipan and the neighboring island of Tinian was a turning point in the war in the Pacific, making the American victory against Japan inevitable.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Written like an amateur's account of his battle
- By jack on 12-18-13
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The Frozen Chosen
- The 1st Marine Division and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir
- By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 77
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
The Frozen Chosen is an account of the breakout from the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea by the First Marine Division from November to December 1950, following the intervention of Red China in the Korean War. Fought during the worst blizzard in a century, it is considered by the US Marine Corps to be the Corps' finest hour. Fourteen Medals of Honor, a record for any American battle, and 85 Navy Crosses attest to the intensity of the battle.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating story, very bad narration
- By Mat J Monk on 03-31-17
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Okinawa
- The Last Battle
- By: Roy E. Appleman, James MacGregor Burns, Russell A. Gugeler, and others
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
On 1 April, 1945, the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific Theater began. The battle for the island of Okinawa would last for the next 82 days. Through the course of this dramatic battle, over 20,000 Americans would lose their lives, and over 75,000 Japanese were killed in one of the bloodiest clashes of World War II. Okinawa: The Last Battle is a remarkably detailed account of this monumental event by four soldiers who witnessed the action first-hand.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good Okinawa History
- By Derail on 03-10-20
By: Roy E. Appleman, and others
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Betrayal at Little Gibraltar
- A German Fortress, a Treacherous American General, and the Battle to End World War I
- By: William Walker
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 288
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 264
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 261
The year is 1918. German engineers have fortified Montfaucon, a rocky butte in Northern France, with bunkers, tunnels, trenches, and a top-secret observatory capable of directing artillery shells across the battlefield. Following a number of unsuccessful attacks, the French deem Montfaucon impregnable and dub it the Little Gibraltar of the Western Front. Capturing it is a key to success for AEF commander in chief John J. Pershing's 1.2 million troops.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Compelling narrative, meticulous research
- By JKW on 07-18-16
By: William Walker
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Blitzkrieg
- Myth, Reality, and Hitler's Lightning War: France 1940
- By: Lloyd Clark
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 90
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
In the spring of 1940, the Germans launched a military offensive in France and the Low Countries that married superb intelligence, the latest military thinking, and new technology. It was a stunning victory, altering the balance of power in Europe in one stroke, and convincing the entire world that the Nazi war machine was unstoppable. But as Lloyd Clark, a leading British military historian and academic, argues, much of our understanding of this victory, and blitzkrieg itself, is based on myth.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very good and detailed about the Fall of France
- By Arthur on 03-15-17
By: Lloyd Clark
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Case Red
- The Collapse of France
- By: Robert Forczyk
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 172
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 154
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 153
Even after the legendary evacuation from Dunkirk in June 1940 there were still large British formations fighting the Germans alongside their French allies. After mounting a vigorous counterattack at Abbeville and then engaging a tough defense along the Somme, the British were forced to conduct a second evacuation from the ports of Le Havre, Cherbourg, Brest, and St. Nazaire. Case Red captures the drama of the final three weeks of military operations in France in June 1940.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Not Forczyk's best offering
- By S.C. James on 01-30-18
By: Robert Forczyk
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Chesty
- The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC
- By: Colonel Jon T. Hoffman USMCR
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 23 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 615
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 550
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Story5 out of 5 stars 548
The Marine Corps is known for its heroes, and Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller has long been considered the greatest of them all. His assignments and activities covered an extraordinary spectrum of warfare. With his bulldog face, barrel chest (which earned him the nickname Chesty), gruff voice, and common touch, Puller became - and has remained - the epitome of the marine combat officer. Author Jon Hoffman has been given special access to Puller's personal papers as well as his personnel record. The result will unquestionably stand as the last word about Chesty Puller.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book great man good read
- By Just_Shoppin on 07-10-18
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A Frozen Hell
- The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940
- By: William R. Trotter
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 285
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 240
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 239
In 1939, tiny Finland waged war - the kind of war that spawns legends - against the mighty Soviet Union, and yet, their epic struggle has been largely ignored. Guerrillas on skis, heroic single-handed attacks on tanks, unfathomable endurance, and the charismatic leadership of one of this century's true military geniuses - these are the elements of both the Finnish victory and a gripping tale of war.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Causes and consequences of ruso-finish 1939 war
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and capitalized M). on 04-06-18
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The Battle of the Tanks
- Kursk, 1943
- By: Lloyd Clark
- Narrated by: David Baker
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 659
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 598
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 594
On July 5, 1943, the greatest land battle in history began when Nazi and Red Army forces clashed near the town of Kursk, on the western border of the Soviet Union. Code named Operation Citadel, the German offensive would cut through the bulge in the eastern front that had been created following Germany's retreat at the battle of Stalingrad. But the Soviets, well informed about Germany's plans through their network of spies, had months to prepare.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good enough
- By Val Shebeko on 05-28-15
By: Lloyd Clark
What listeners say about Bracketing the Enemy: Forward Observers in World War II
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ben James
- 12-27-17
From a current Forward Observer (0861/13F)
I’m absolutely thrilled to have found a book dedicated to the Forward Observer (FO). For 16 years, I have served in this field as a Marine and as a Soldier, including tours in South Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I’ve served at levels from platoon to Division.
This book does an excellent job at detailing the evolution of our profession. We often refer to ourselves as the ‘red headed step children’ of the infantry, and it seems our work is often overlooked.
This book is well-worth the listen. A modern FO might be disappointed. It’s apparent the author and/or narrator didn’t consult a current FO. My fellow Artillerists, you must forgive. It is worth the gratification that we now have a book dedicated to the efforts our FO brethren performed in the past. I’m hopeful more will follow.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- tell stout
- 03-05-24
A review from a Forward Observer.
Though I may be a bit biased, it is very cool to hear the stories of those that I get to carry on their legacy truly makes me proud to call myself a forward observer.
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