Book excerpt: Full title: How to Survive Combat as Point Man If You're Lucky... and Lose Friends if They're Not. Author's experiences in training as an infantry replacement and combat as private-soldier, scout and point man in Normandy, northern Europe and Germany from mid-July through early October 1944 (when he was wounded) with the 30th Infantry Division. Excellent often humorous account of what it was really like to be a foot soldier in the months following the Normandy invasion. 30 photos.