andid ate ▁School , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁combat ▁historian ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁Theater ▁of ▁Oper ations . ▁He ch ler ▁helped ▁chron icle ▁the ▁liber ation ▁of ▁France , ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁Norm andy ▁invasion , ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Bul ge , ▁and ▁entrance ▁into ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁He ▁was ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Arm ored ▁Division ▁when ▁an ▁arm ored ▁and ▁inf antry ▁task ▁force , ▁part ▁of ▁Com bat ▁Command ▁B , ▁unexpected ly ▁captured ▁the ▁Lud endor ff ▁Bridge ▁sp anning ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁river ▁during ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Rem agen . ▁He ▁interview ed ▁both ▁U . S . ▁and ▁German ▁soldiers ▁involved ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Bron ze ▁Star ▁and ▁ 5 ▁battle ▁stars . ▁He ▁returned ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁twice ▁to ▁interview ▁Germ ans ▁who ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁battle . ▁He ▁found ▁Captain ▁Will i ▁Br atge , ▁one ▁of ▁two ▁officers ▁who ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁executed ▁at ▁Hitler ' s ▁orders ▁because ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁captured , ▁and ▁spent ▁a ▁week ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁Rem agen ▁area ▁learning ▁about ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁battle . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁he ▁published ▁the ▁book ▁The ▁Bridge ▁at ▁Rem agen : ▁The ▁Ama zing ▁Story ▁of ▁March ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁which ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁a ▁film ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁ended , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁interview ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁defend