BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – A recent book chronicles the life of Ralph V. Little and his wife, the former Eleanor Baraby, both of Bellows Falls. “Three Cold Wars: A Vermont Citizen-Soldier’s Life in the Infantry,” is authored by his son R.V. Little Jr., himself a career intelligence and infantry officer. The book reveals a man who rose from the Great Depression to experience combat and unheralded Cold War service. Intended for family, the story evolved into a military history of a valorous man and untold combat. Details are enhanced by the writer’s background, extensive archives, and battlefield research assisted by four Italian museums.
Half the content follows the development of a hometown private in Company E, 172nd Infantry Regiment of the Vermont National Guard, through development into an infantry officer, and on to World War II combat. The reader accompanies then-Lt. Little through all aspects of service, and sees how things happen – the training, personal life, movement to combat, engagement, recovery, separations, and even the paperwork battle. The format repeats for subsequent death-defying combat in Korea. Throughout are either hitherto unreported battles, or new details on the initial 1950 Chinese attack in Korea. The combat and occupation duties impress how his third war – the Cold War – took form from the eyes of a player. As a captain, Little served as grand marshal of the 1951 Bellows Falls Memorial Day Parade.
The book includes weapons and manpower charts, maps covering all the action, and troop lists depicting the players. Family and military photos appear with the pertinent event. Both military and general readers will be fascinated by text that identifies the exact enemy, defines wounds, and traces medical evacuations. Accompanying the story are vignettes showing the bigger picture of history alongside the subject’s service.
“Three Cold Wars” is available on Amazon, ISBN 979-8-218-44060-2.