About the book
“Battalion from the Mojave” is Ted Van Arsdol’s self-published history of the 535th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, written from the memories and records of the men who served in it, in two volumes. Volume 1 (1971) covers the battalion’s formation in the California desert through the landings and build-up at the Normandy beachhead, July 25, 1944. Volume 2 (1976) continues the story through the Battle of the Bulge, the Rhine crossing at Remagen, and the drive into Germany to V-E Day and beyond — and its appendix roster is the actual source confirming Nels served in B Battery, cited throughout this site. Both were printed in small runs, distributed mostly to veterans and their families, and copies are now scarce — occasionally found on Amazon, AbeBooks, or eBay, or through a library via WorldCat (see the families research guide).
A private family edition
Because the original text isn’t ours to publish, this family has built a digital edition of both volumes from personal copies: a proofread web reader with search and a typeset, print-ready PDF for each. It’s made for family — please don’t repost or share the links publicly.