Cited: Sides, Hampton. Ghost Soldiers: the Epic Account of World War II 's Greatest Rescue Mission. New York: Anchor, 2002. Print.…
A collaboration of short stories behind the scenes of an exciting era in American history. The author portrays many different point of views throughout the stories from the actual soldiers to the people who worked around the bases of Iraq and Afghanistan to the priests and chaplains that helped keep the soldiers sane. Though the book suffered slightly from its overuse of military jargon it flourished with great imagery and the clear, enjoyable voice. Also, the different point of views help correlate the different perspectives and at times touches upon Phil Klay’s personal connections to the book.…
A lot of men see the differences in generations within the military, but few can see that early military formed everything in to the way the military is today. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the Marine infantryman’s basic weapons of the 1940s and today, to include the rifle, machine guns and anti-tank weapons.…
Flags of Our Fathers is a biography of John “Doc” Bradley, also called Jack, and the five other flag raisers in battle on the island of Iwo Jima during World War II. It is written by his son, James Bradley, who knew very little about his father’s experience and heroism in the battle of Iwo Jima. This novel takes the reader into the lives of these six men and provides a glimpse of the United States as it was before, during and after what is perceived as the worst battle of World War II. The men in this biography were considered heroes for their actions; however none of them thought this to be completely true. When asked about being such a hero John as well as the other flag raisers agreed that “The heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who didn’t come back,” (pg.343). This biography is a wonderful representation of the humility and greatness that the soldiers showed during the time of war. The author portrays his message to the reader through his use of a personal recollection of the battle, and the events in the lives of each of the six men who came to be known as the flag raisers.…
The book “War Without Mercy” is a study of the wartime attitudes between the Japanese and American forces against one another, by John W. Dower. The book is divided into four parts: Enemies, The War in Western Eyes, The War in Japanese Eyes, and Epilogue. Each section plays a vital role in the book, that without any of these, the book would change entirely.…
The Marines drove the Japanese back killing 94 and capturing 2. Back on wake the fighting was desprate there was no infantry in reserve to add releif to the fight. “This is as far as we go,” said Major Putnam (Putnam 37). The sea of Japanese solders met the Marines with their hands…
Herr tells the Marines' stories, some bizarre and others touching, with a deep sense of respect and admiration for what the young men do and think in a foreign country full of danger. With significantly less admiration, the author relates the propaganda of the Vietnam War and sketches the portraits of those promoting the official lines. While other correspondents think of the Marines as unworthy for story material, Herr finds…
Rottman, Cardon L. Hell in the Pacific The Battle of Okinawa. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, 2008.…
“I’m Sgt. Thompson! We need to move up! We are far too vulnerable! Help me find a good location,” he said to me as he handed me an M1 Garand, the standard issue rifle for infantrymen (Laurenceau). We began to scout a possible area of cover further up the beach. I spotted a small group of four men taking cover in a bomb crater in the sand about 150 yards in front of us (Worrld War II).…
The history of war is what many spend time reading about in textbooks. Few, however, experience war and all that it encompasses. David Leckie, a marine during World War II, uses his book, Helmet for My Pillow, to share with readers the truth of what it was like to be a soldier. Rather than skimming the surface of his time on Parris Island and the Pacific Islands, he goes into unmatched, excruciating detail; every trench dug, every shot fired, and every fallen soldier passed was recounted by Leckie. Setting this story apart from any other, the first-hand accounts of combat, unlikely descriptions of the day-to-day actions of the soldiers, and the heart that Leckie intertwines with each part of his story all combine to make this thought-provoking,…
In chapter four, Assault into Hell, Sledge details the initial assault on Peleliu. H Hour is 0800; numerous 16" and 8" naval guns open fire from the band of warships brought along for the attack on Peleliu, along with smaller naval guns, airplanes, to pulverize the landing zone. Sledge watches in fascination while nearly collapsing with fear. The bombardment lifts moments before the amtracs hit the beach. Sledge and the other marines jump over the side of the amtrac and rush inland, finally putting into practice all of that training they had been through in order to move as quickly and efficiently off the beach. The Japanese fire they receive upon arrival is intense and effective, leaving behind a frightening path of destruction, slowly wreaking havoc as they assaulted the shore. Moments later on the shore Sledge watches a marine DUKW explode from a direct hit and notes how the sea lit up with Geysers prickling across the ocean surface as enemy mortar fire peppers the waves in hopes of sinking more of the assaulting vehicles emerging from the surf in droves. Sledge than briefly alludes to what amounts to a splintering of the mental state as another veteran calmly stands as motor fire falls all around him, proclaiming, “Calm down sledge, they’re not even close. They’re grazing the leaves “despite the fact that the nearest vegetation was 800 yards away from them. This dissociation from reality was but the first of the many results from the battle to come. After fighting hard into the advance a momentary lull in the fighting allows for a slow breath to be taken. Amidst this lull a group of veteran’s come up to Sledge as he stands near a fallen Japanese corpsman who was apparently administering aid to some of the Japanese soldiers that were littered around him, as indicated by his medical box being open and all the neat bandages ready to be grabbed from their neat little compartments, when the blast from a mortar ended his life before his mission…
Bibliography: Nalty, Bernard C. With Courage: the United States Army Air Force in World War II. Darby; Diana Publishing. 1993 (57)…
Baker, Carlos. Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Farewell to Arms: The Mountain and the Plain. New York: The Viking Press, 1944. Print.…
McDonough, James R. The Defense of Hill 781: An Allegory of Modern Mechanized Combat. California: Presidio, 1993.…
As you can see, I’m researching about a bloody battle. This battle took place in World War II, and it was the final battle. This battle killed a lot of people, and it took a whole year for the battle to end. You’re probably how I got interested in the bloody battle. My father was a marine, and he wanted to watch Hacksaw Ridge, and it was very interesting and I wanted to keep learning about this battle, so I started researching about it. When people think that the Battle of Okinawa ( Hacksaw Ridge), they think of something terrifying, but also happy. Throughout this essay, I will easily show that the story of Hacksaw Ridge, is one of the most amazing stories about World War II.…