I bought your book on Captain George Mallon. I sat down and read the first 100 pages or so and it’s great. I feel like I got to know Captain Mallon on levels I wasn’t aware off. I’ve blocked reading time tomorrow and I can’t wait to get into the next 100 pages. To me, being excited about reading is the true indicator of a great book. Thank you for all the time you put into it, it’s a masterpiece.
“Captain Mallon Doughboy Hero” is a book every student of history should read. George Mallon, Medal of Honor recipient and one of General Pershing’s 100 Heroes of World War 1 was much more than a soldier. He was the working man’s friend who fought vigorously for labor rights during the time when corporations dictated wages, benefits and workplace conditions. The hundreds of hours of research that Steve Chicoine put into this book reveals fascinating details from the life of George Mallon that have never been published before. I highly endorse this masterpiece and encourage everyone to take the time to read it.
- Jim Sullivan, Vietnam Veteran
This is a terrific story about one of our little known World War 1 soldiers. George Mallon was born in Ogden Kansas in 1877. Enlisting with the 22nd Kansas Infantry at the onset of the Spanish American War in 1898, he would not see action until the Philippine resistance a year later. After his discharge, Mallon moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he became involved in politics and the labor movement. In 1917, Mallon enlisted once again and fought in the Meuse Argonne Offensive as a captain, where he earned the Medal of Honor by taking out German machine guns and cannons, leading 9 soldiers with rifles. Following the war, he was named one of General Pershing’ s 100 heros. Returning to Minnesota, George and his wife Effie, raised their family. He continued to fight for the working man, working in the Nonpartisan League and becoming Hennepin County Commissioner. George Mallon died in 1934 and was buried at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Minneapolis. In September of 1939, the body of George Mallon was reinterred at the new Fort Snelling National Cemetery. He was the first to be buried at this cemetery. This was a great read, vividly told by Steve Chicoine and very relevant during this time of the 100 year anniversary of our involvement in World War 1.
- Herb Reckinger, Jr., volunteer extraordinaire for Faces Never Forgotten, gathering photos of every Minnesotan lost in Vietnam.
Portrait of a Genuine Hero and Man of Integrity. This is a meticulously researched history of the political and economic struggles of America emerging as a world power in the early 20th century—the Spanish-American War, World War I, the Great Depression, Prohibition, and the struggle for economic justice and worker’s rights. But above all this book is about character. To be introduced to Capt. George H. Mallon, the World War I Medal of Honor winner from Kansas and Minnesota was a rare privilege for me. A man who could take a punch in the ring as well as he could deliver it–once knocked down nine times for a mandatory count of eight—Mallon was still standing when the fight was called. His heroics in the Meuse-Argonne battle also show a man of rare courage and leadership as he led the charge into the German lines. He and his men captured large numbers of German guns and soldiers. Sometimes Mallon used his famous uppercut on the German in preference to a bullet. In this loving portrait, author Stephen Chicoine describes a man guided not by ego, but principle. Modest to the core, Mallon spent his years and his celebrity after WWI fighting always for the unions, the underdog, the common working man. In today’s climate of chest-thumping, demonstrative egotists and narcissists, I recall the expression “An empty bucket makes the most noise.” It is refreshing to witness Mallon’s example of what a real hero and man of integrity looks like.
- Jim Sudmeier, Ph.D., author of Patton: The Madness Behind the Genius
James Wilkinson [from amazon.com]
November 6, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseI certainly enjoyed this book. My great grandmother was Jane Elizabeth Mallon Boller, who was George’s, aunt I believe. She was the widow of Felix Boller, recognized as the first law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in Kansas, in 1866. If I’m correct, I would be a first cousin, twice removed, to George. When I was a kid, the Mallon WW I story was told and re-told. I knew nothing of him post war, and found that to be fascinating. In Sept., 2016, a cousin and I were at a Boller reunion In Ogden (where my mother was born), and we went all through St. Patrick’s cemetery, mentioned early in the book. Thanks for taking the time to write this, Mr. Chicoine.
Jim W., Leawood, Ks.
Nancy R [from amazon.com]September 12, 2017
Format: Paperback
