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With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

Miles Monroe

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Tying in to the HBO series The Pacific, I finally got to read one of the books part of the series was based on. Having read a book (Chesty) a few years back, I learned about a battle few had ever heard of, the fight for Peleliu. The account in Chesty was far more technical in it's telling. While it gave a very good insight of what went down, With The Old Breed gives you a telling view of the true horror of Pacific combat for the average Joe.

E B Sledge is in no way a gifted writer, but he didn't need to be to put down the graphic reality of his time in K 3/5. He does what so few have, told the entire story. Not just the normal details of the campaigns he was involved in, but brings to light the gory details of what these brave young men endured. Things you and I would never think of. His manner of telling it is almost cold and surgical while still having emotion.

If you have any interest in a startling view of the Pacific theater of WWII, I highly recommend this book. The HBO series couldn't even begin to tell the story, and had they reproduced visually some of his accounts, it wouldn't be fit for viewing by most people.

Again, I'll never take away any admiration, or appreciation for those that served in Europe, but the Pacific war was completely on another level. Some said they couldn't connect with the characters in this series compared to band of brothers. Simply speaking, the men who fought in the Pacific got chewed up and spit out far faster due to the closer, more intense combat against a barbaric fanatical foe.
 
everyone always tells me "The Pacific was good but it was no Band of Brothers" but for me, I was stationed in Guam for 2 years, been to Okinawa, have ridden ships past Iwo Jima and basically been everywhere that major battles happened in one for or another and manned the rails when pulling in to Pearl Harbor. Heck, I even have friends who were stationed on the Peleliu.

Im going to check this book out..thanks for the tip.

It's a short book actually, only 300 some odd pages long. I wish I had known of the book prior to watching the Pacific. I plan on re-watching it this weekend. I also plan on reading the other book the series was based on, Robert Leckie's Helmet for My Pillow. I have it on order with the local library.

I look forward to hearing your view on the book.
 
It's a short book actually, only 300 some odd pages long. I wish I had known of the book prior to watching the Pacific. I plan on re-watching it this weekend. I also plan on reading the other book the series was based on, Robert Leckie's Helmet for My Pillow. I have it on order with the local library.

I look forward to hearing your view on the book.

I read 'Helmet for My Pillow' just a couple months ago Pete. Great book. If you want, pm me your address and I'll send it your way...
 
I read 'Helmet for My Pillow' just a couple months ago Pete. Great book. If you want, pm me your address and I'll send it your way...

Thanks brother, but I'll have it this Tuesday in large print to boot. Dem ol eyes just aint what they use to be:frown2:
 
I remember flying into Iwo and briefing "if we have to punch out...we're doing it over the island".....sharks everywhere!

every gyrine in the Universe has left his dogtags on suribachi
 
I remember flying into Iwo and briefing "if we have to punch out...we're doing it over the island".....sharks everywhere!

every gyrine in the Universe has left his dogtags on suribachi

Too many left them there the hard way.....
 
I read 'Helmet for My Pillow' just a couple months ago Pete. Great book.


I finished Helmet for my Pillow last night, and agree it's a great read. A truly stark contrast in writing between the two books, as if Mark wrote one, and I the other.

Many of the stories of liberty and hi jinx are so similar to the ones dad told me, it's almost scary. I have no doubt that dad drank and brawled at some of the same places, just years apart as he was in during Korea.

What shall we read next.....
 
every gyrine in the Universe has left his dogtags on suribachi

Actually - not many of us get the chance to see the place Al, which is too bad. I was infantry for 10+ years in two of the Marine divisions and never got closer than Okinawa. Wish I'd had the opportunity.
 
Actually - not many of us get the chance to see the place Al, which is too bad. I was infantry for 10+ years in two of the Marine divisions and never got closer than Okinawa. Wish I'd had the opportunity.

well...boone.....it is pretty inspiring. only your family are gonna remember you...right? always liked that about the Marine Corps.
 

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