McFadden's Thirty

The McFadden's Thirty consisted of 31 volunteer soldiers, who fought in World War II for the US Army. It took its name from its leader, Lieutenant Alisdair McFadden. Those who survived the war were welcomed as heroes, but today they are pretty much forgotten.

History
Queen Lucy I didn't send any troops to fight in World War II, because to population of Lovia was relatively small. However, there were a few senior officers in the army, who wanted to participate. McFadden, a Scottish-Lovian lieutenant, was perhaps the most ardent proponent. He was given the permission by the Queen for searching for volunteers.

Assisted by Sergeant John Hopewell, with whom he had similar ideology, McFadden traveled all over the country to find volunteers. He initially expected to find many men, but he only got 29. He was especially treated suspiciously in Oceana, as its people stated that WWII isn't their war.

The United States entered the war in 1941 and the the McFadden's Thirty traveled in Europe to participate in Operation Torch. Consequently, the American army invaded North Africa, under commands of Dwight Eisenhower. In the disastrous Battle of the Kasserine Pass, the Americans were defeated and many of the Lovians volunteers died there. However, the Allies managed to stop the German advance in Tunisia and by May 1943, Axis troops in North Africa surrendered. The American army efforts turned towards Sicily and Italy.

The first American troops landed on the Italian peninsula in September 1943, and Italy surrendered on 8 September. The Germans were defeated at Monte Cassino. Some Allied, including the Lovian soldiers, remained in Rome until the end of the war. The McFadden's Thitry returned in Lovia, in October 1945. They were welcomed by Queen Lucy and given a generous pension. All of them were awarded with the Silver Star of the Order of Arthur I, except Lt. McFadden who was awarded with the Gold Star. The survivors dissociated within an emotional atmosphere.

Memory and Legacy
A commemoration stone was placed in New Town, Noble City. It was carved in 1950 by Jane Delatour, who made it less ragged. The names of all volunteers are written in a bronze plaque.

Howard Sonn, a writer from Newhaven, wrote The Higlander (1989) a fictional account of McFadden's life. Transbaum Films intended to produce a film about the team. However, only a couple of scenes were filmed, due to the high cost.