Read local: ‘Dead Man’s Ridge: The bravery of American paratroopers at the Battle of the Bulge’

Keene native Peter M. Hanrahan has released “Dead Man’s Ridge: The Bravery of American Paratroopers at the Battle of the Bulge,” published Aug. 4 by Stackpole Books.

Now a resident of Topsham, Maine, Hanrahan based the book on a full-day interview conducted more than 30 years ago with his wife’s uncle, Niilo Liimatainen, at Liimatainen’s home in Jaffrey.

Liimatainen served in the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 17th Airborne Division commanded by Gen. William M. “Bud” Miley under Gen. George S. Patton’s 3rd Army. On Jan. 4, 1945, the division attacked German forces at Flamierge, Belgium — an engagement known as the Battle of Dead Man’s Ridge.

Liimatainen was wounded and captured during the attack. The two men agreed to co-author a book telling Liimatainen’s story. Unfortunately, they never got to it during Liimatainen’s lifetime.

The battle took a severe toll on the 17^th Airborne, and Liimatainen’s platoon was hit hard when it was surrounded and overwhelmed during the battle. Only Liimatainen and two other platoon members survived, and all three were captured.

In his autobiography, “War As I Knew It,” Patton initially dismissed early reports of the battle that claimed 40 percent of the battalion had been lost. “Whenever one gets such a report, it indicates that people don’t know anything of war. A casualty report of 10 percent is seldom true, unless people have run away or surrendered.” Patton later retracted the statement after the accuracy of the heavy losses was confirmed.

Though Liimatainen passed away in 2005, Hanrahan resolved to fulfill their agreement to document the history.

The Battle of the Bulge, involving 600,000 Allied troops, was the largest and bloodiest land battle fought by American troops in World War II. In its last major offensive action of World War II, the Germans focused their attack on American troops.

Against this backdrop, “Dead Man’s Ridge” features many first-person accounts that illustrate the bravery, resolve and patriotism of young American men confronting a seasoned and determined enemy.

Local author Ernest Hebert, a Keene native and retired Dartmouth College professor, praised the finished work prior to publication.

“What makes Dead Man’s Ridge not just a great read, but a great book, are Peter M. Hanrahan’s portraits of soldiers, from the generals to the privates, from Americans to Brits, to Germans,” Hebert said. “Hanrahan has a gift for revealing character through action and dialogue.”

Peter M. Hanrahan graduated from Keene High School in 1968, and then from Keene State College in 1983. Peter and his wife, Mary Ellen, lived in the Keene area until 1996. He was active in the community, and in 1978 he co-founded and named Keene’s Clarence DeMar Marathon, which will be run for the 48^th time on Sept. 27. Hanrahan will return to the Monadnock region on marathon weekend for two public appearances on Saturday, Sept. 26: a presentation at the Gay-Kimball Library in Troy at noon and a book signing at Toadstool Books in Keene from 3 to 4 p.m.