OT Book Board: Once An Eagle; Thoughts?

I'd like to have an OT Book Board discussion on this classic of military fiction.

A classic epic that spans the first 60 years of the 20th Century from the point of view of a Soldier, it has been listed on countless military required reading lists, and is still studied at West Point.

Sam Damon is the embodiment of the kind of Soldier everyone wants to be, but I always saw his character as a foil to the rest of the cast, namely Courtney Massengale and Tommy Damon. These two characters were much more developed than Sam, who honestly, was incredibly one-dimensional and sometimes unbelievable, if only because Myrer never dig deep enough into his character.

Still, I always found it incredibly engaging, especially the World War 1 and 2 chapters and insight that was based on Myrer's personal experiences fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. And there are always lessons to be taken away from Sam Damon and his approach to, well, everything he did throughout the novel

For those who read it, what do you think?

Also, it was always interesting to me that Anton Myrer, a former Marine, chose to write his magnum opus from the point of view of a Soldier. I suppose he always appreciated the fact the Army is 'the military' in so many ways, and when it comes to the common denominator of ground combat in every conflict we have been, and will be engaged in, the Army has always been asked to do the unthinkable and has stepped up every time.