Private Heller and the Bantam Boys

In time for the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into the First World War, Private Heller and the Bantam Boys—based on Heller’s long-hidden diary—tells the tale of a group of privileged yet naïve Princeton University students and their big, brawny Midwestern farm boy interloper, Ralph Heller. To them, war is a grand adventure not to be missed, and they enlist as medics and ambulance drivers (think Hemingway and dos Passos) to make sure they can get to France before the war ends. These college boys go about their training filled with idealism and bravado and, despite constant marching and drilling, absolutely no preparation for what they’re about to face.When their transport ship comes under U-boat attack off the Welsh coast, the idea that they could get killed before they reach the front begins to sink in. Once in France, and with a seemingly unlimited supply of red wine (water is for crops and animals), and hormone-fueled high spirits, the Bantam Boys are ready for anything that comes their way. Or so they think.Devastation touches all, as they enter a hell of mud, rats, poison gas, flying lead, and rotting corpses where they’re just as likely in the confusion of No Man’s Land to end up heading toward the Germans rather than away from them. From the comic to the horrific, Private Heller and the Bantam Boys will touch readers of all ages.

“"Private Heller and the Bantam Boys is thought provoking, entertaining, educational, engaging and a reminder that, like now, war is hell. It is through the action of men like Ralph and the Bantam Boys that the Red Cross today still commands such a high level of respect."--Kathryn Forbes, Chairman Audit and Risk Committee International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent”

“An intriguing – and highly accurate - story about one the most important members of any combat team – the medic. For the injured, there is none more vital to survival. I recommend Private Heller to anyone with any interest in military operations.”--R. T. Browning, Brigadier General, USAF (Retired)
“Private Heller and the Bantam Boys is thought provoking, entertaining, educational, engaging and a reminder that, like now, war is hell.  It is through the action of men like Ralph and the Bantam Boys that the Red Cross today still commands such a high level of respect.”—Kathryn Forbes, Chairman Audit and Risk Committee International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent
“Private Heller is an open door to the past. The words in Ralph Heller’s tattered and war torn journal spring to life, telling his life and death story of survival on the Western Front. From the comedy of learning to drive ambulances, to the devastation and heartbreak of losing friends in combat, this book delivers an up-close personal view of Private Heller’s experience as an ambulance driver during WWI.”--David L. O’Neal, WWI Preservation Collection, Military Historical Studies
"From the comic to the horrific, Private Heller and the Bantam Boys will touch readers of all ages!" The AMEDD Historian

Gregory Archer is the maternal grandson of Private Ralph Heller, the diarist and protagonist of the book. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and the author of various books and articles in the field of psychology. He also has a website dedicated to his grandfather’s experiences in World War I , including all the interesting stories and photographs that have been extrapolated from Private Heller’s diary. He lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

In time for the 100th anniversary of America's entry into the First World War, Private Heller and the Bantam Boys-based on Heller's long-hidden diary-tells the tale of a group of privileged yet naive Princeton University students and their big, brawny Midwestern farm boy interloper, Ralph Heller. To them, war is a grand adventure not to be missed, and they enlist as medics and ambulance drivers (think Hemingway and dos Passos) to make sure they can get to France before the war ends. These college boys go about their training filled with idealism and bravado and, despite constant marching and drilling, absolutely no preparation for what they're about to face. When their transport ship comes under U-boat attack off the Welsh coast, the idea that they could get killed before they reach the front begins to sink in. Once in France, and with a seemingly unlimited supply of red wine (water is for crops and animals), and hormone-fueled high spirits, the Bantam Boys are ready for anything that comes their way. Or so they think. Devastation touches all, as they enter a hell of mud, rats, poison gas, flying lead, and rotting corpses where they're just as likely in the confusion of No Man's Land to end up heading toward the Germans rather than away from them. From the comic to the horrific, Private Heller and the Bantam Boys will touch readers of all ages.

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