The first full-length biography of World War II general and Cold Warrior John Wilson "Iron Mike" O’Daniel, featuring "the very essence of the man… who spent more time under fire with his front-line troops than behind the safety of his office desk." ― ARGunners.com John Wilson “Iron Mike” O’Daniel was one of the U.S. Army’s great fighting generals of the 20th century. He began his military career with the Delaware Militia in 1914, served on the Mexican border in 1916, received a Distinguished Service Cross in World War I, was Mark Clark’s man for hard jobs in the early days of World War II, and commanded the storied 3rd Infantry Division from Anzio to the end of the war in Europe, ending the war in Salzburg after liberating Munich, and Hitler’s Berghof and Eagle’s Nest on the Obersalzberg, Bavaria, Germany. “Iron Mike “commanded I Corps in Korea 1951–1952 and ended his career as the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam in the early days of American involvement there. LTC Stoy paints a vivid picture of this great American warrior who played an important role in World War II, became an ardent anti-Communist crusader after duty in Moscow as Military Attaché 1948–1950 as the Cold War intensified, laid the foundation for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and remained an ardent supporter of President Ngo Dinh Diem while serving as Chairman of the American Friends of Vietnam from his retirement in 1956 until 1963, shortly before Diem’s assassination. Table of Contents Foreword, Major General Anthony A. Cucolo, III. Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Early Days 2. WWI 3. Nogales and the 25th Infantry Regiment 4. The Interwar Years 5. WWII - ETO and Operation Torch with the 168th Infantry Regiment 6. Arzew, Algeria; Italy - including Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Rome 7. France, Germany, and Austria 8. The Infantry Center and School at Fort Benning, Georgia 9. Moscow and Army Ground Forces 10. Korean War and Command of I Corps 11. Indochina and Vietnam 12. The American Friends of Vietnam and the Final Years 13. Conclusion Appendices Bibliography and Sources "...an interesting dissertation on one style of leadership that was clearly successful. There are many highly useful lessons to be learned and applied from O’Daniel’s soldiering, but stylistically, he would likely be a 'fish out of water' in today’s Army. That being said, this is a book worth reading." The Journal of America's Military Past "[Stoy] presents enough—including plenty from the general himself—to present a classic career of a top-notch administrator, a strict disciplinarian, an equally strict believer in Russian general Aleksandr Suvorov’s philosophy of 'train hard, fight easy,' and an aggressive combat commander, all elements in a lifetime of successful leadership." Vietnam Magazine "...[a] comprehensive, admiring but fair-minded biography..." The VVA Veteran "This biography illuminates many of the challenges faced by O’Daniel and the U.S. Army from 1914 to 1975. For these reasons, Sharpen Your Bayonets is a valuable book." ARMY Magazine "O'Daniel has received relatively scant attention compared to some of his peers; though he is fre­quently mentioned in other works, he rarely gets the recognition he deserves. This well-written and authoritative book remedies that imbalance." "In summary, Timothy Stoy has crafted a superb biography of 'Iron Mike' O’Daniel. Through exhaustive research and the use of techniques not normally seen in a biography, he has clearly told the story of O’Daniel. In doing so, he has done a great service to the public. He has exposed many to a soldier and leader who made huge contributions to the U.S. Army and to the Nation." Military Review "Warts and all, we are introduced to the very essence of the man, a complete American warrior, one who spent more time under fire with his front-line troops than behind the safety of his office desk. ARGunners.com Timothy R. Stoy is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served 31 years as an infantry officer and as a foreign area officer. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and earned a master’s degree at Georgetown University. Stoy served as Historian of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division and is currently the president and historian of the 15th Infantry Association. Among his many honors, Stoy is a recipient of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division’s Audie Murphy Award.