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He’s Alive!: SERGEANT JAMES I. MESTROVITCH
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
2 days and 14:11:21
50 copies available
U.S. only
THREE TIMES DECLARED DEAD IN WWI – AND THREE TIMES HE CAME BACK.
THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN MEDAL OF HONOR HERO HISTORY TRIED TO FORGET.
A gripping account of a young man from a small Montenegrin village who crossed the ocean in search of freedom, carrying only his mother’s blessing and a vow to guard honor above all. In America, he found a new homeland and became James I. Mestrovitch – a man who loved his adopted country as deeply as the one in which he was born.
When the Great War erupted, he was among the first to march to Europe under the American flag. On the blood-soaked fields of France, he became a symbol of courage and brotherhood. Soldiers, officers, even entire regiments spoke of his deeds, turning his bravery into stories and battlefield performances that boosted morale.
Wounded and unable to lift a rifle, he fought on with the only weapon he could still raise – a pistol. For his extraordinary valor, the United States Congress posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor, placing him among the nation’s immortal heroes and forever inscribing his name in American history.
Based on extensive historical research, archival materials, and documented military records, this documentary narrative reconstructs the life of Sergeant James I. Mestrovitch — one of the most extraordinary yet forgotten heroes of World War I.
He's Alive! – a documentary work that brings an American hero back among the living.
THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN MEDAL OF HONOR HERO HISTORY TRIED TO FORGET.
A gripping account of a young man from a small Montenegrin village who crossed the ocean in search of freedom, carrying only his mother’s blessing and a vow to guard honor above all. In America, he found a new homeland and became James I. Mestrovitch – a man who loved his adopted country as deeply as the one in which he was born.
When the Great War erupted, he was among the first to march to Europe under the American flag. On the blood-soaked fields of France, he became a symbol of courage and brotherhood. Soldiers, officers, even entire regiments spoke of his deeds, turning his bravery into stories and battlefield performances that boosted morale.
Wounded and unable to lift a rifle, he fought on with the only weapon he could still raise – a pistol. For his extraordinary valor, the United States Congress posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor, placing him among the nation’s immortal heroes and forever inscribing his name in American history.
Based on extensive historical research, archival materials, and documented military records, this documentary narrative reconstructs the life of Sergeant James I. Mestrovitch — one of the most extraordinary yet forgotten heroes of World War I.
He's Alive! – a documentary work that brings an American hero back among the living.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2025
1 person is currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Živojin Petrović
10 books9 followersŽivojin Žika Petrović is a writer, researcher, director, and producer whose work connects science, art, and innovation. He began his creative path as a teenager repairing electronics, a formative experience that shaped both his technical curiosity and storytelling approach.
In 1999, he founded the publishing house GSM Public and launched Serbia’s first magazines dedicated to telecommunications and the digital economy. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Brainz TV, a regional science and arts channel that received the Svetosavska Award in 2020.
Petrović is the author of bestselling fiction and documentary works, including Cuker Laza, Do viđenja!, Nestvarno, a stvarno, Budi GURU menadžer, and the acclaimed documentary novels Ratnik Sunca and He’s Alive!.
His creative concept Moon Eco Alarm is archived by the European Space Agency (ESA). He is the recipient of the Despot Stefan Lazarević Award (2022) and the WIPO Gold Medal for Creativity (2022).
In 1999, he founded the publishing house GSM Public and launched Serbia’s first magazines dedicated to telecommunications and the digital economy. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Brainz TV, a regional science and arts channel that received the Svetosavska Award in 2020.
Petrović is the author of bestselling fiction and documentary works, including Cuker Laza, Do viđenja!, Nestvarno, a stvarno, Budi GURU menadžer, and the acclaimed documentary novels Ratnik Sunca and He’s Alive!.
His creative concept Moon Eco Alarm is archived by the European Space Agency (ESA). He is the recipient of the Despot Stefan Lazarević Award (2022) and the WIPO Gold Medal for Creativity (2022).
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November 23, 2025When I first heard the name James I. Mestrovitch, I could not have imagined where that thread of the past would lead me. At first, it was merely a record in old archives, a name carved among thousands of others, without a voice, without a face, without a home. But as I gradually delved into the story, from the darkness of countless records, documents, and yellowed newspapers, a young man began to emerge: noble, brave, quiet yet proud, one of those rare heroes who won’t let history forget about its humanity.
The book before you is the fruit of my long and fascinating journey through time and space – from searching through historical archives and testimonies to gathering fragments of a lost mosaic from newspaper columns, military files, letters, and family memories. Every page of this work carries the breath of that journey, hundreds of hours of dedication, conversations, silence, and reflection. But above all, it carries a deep desire for someone who gave so much to humanity in the span of his only twenty-three years long life, to truly return among us, to come to life again, and to remain alive forever.
I owe my gratitude to the descendants of James I. Mestrovitch, who opened the doors of their memories to me and, full of trust, shared documents, photographs, and precious family details. Their willingness to preserve and share the legacy of their ancestor is an act of profound respect.
Special thanks goes to SFC Aaron Heft of the Pennsylvania National Guard. His knowledge, patience, and support helped me understand the military and historical context in which James lived. More importantly, he showed genuine respect for the past and a desire to pass it on to future generations with the dignity it deserves.
My journey ends here, but yours is just beginning. In your hands, you hold a bridge between eras and worlds, stretching from the bloody trenches of Fismes to the sunlit olive groves of Đuraševići; a bridge that connects American cities and Montenegrin villages. In the end, remember this: only together can we return this quiet hero to the place he deserves both in the history of the U.S. Army and in the collective memory of humanity.
The book before you is the fruit of my long and fascinating journey through time and space – from searching through historical archives and testimonies to gathering fragments of a lost mosaic from newspaper columns, military files, letters, and family memories. Every page of this work carries the breath of that journey, hundreds of hours of dedication, conversations, silence, and reflection. But above all, it carries a deep desire for someone who gave so much to humanity in the span of his only twenty-three years long life, to truly return among us, to come to life again, and to remain alive forever.
I owe my gratitude to the descendants of James I. Mestrovitch, who opened the doors of their memories to me and, full of trust, shared documents, photographs, and precious family details. Their willingness to preserve and share the legacy of their ancestor is an act of profound respect.
Special thanks goes to SFC Aaron Heft of the Pennsylvania National Guard. His knowledge, patience, and support helped me understand the military and historical context in which James lived. More importantly, he showed genuine respect for the past and a desire to pass it on to future generations with the dignity it deserves.
My journey ends here, but yours is just beginning. In your hands, you hold a bridge between eras and worlds, stretching from the bloody trenches of Fismes to the sunlit olive groves of Đuraševići; a bridge that connects American cities and Montenegrin villages. In the end, remember this: only together can we return this quiet hero to the place he deserves both in the history of the U.S. Army and in the collective memory of humanity.
Displaying 1 of 1 review