with the old breed at peleliu and okinawa

In Sledge's words, ' This was a brutish, primitive hatred, as characteristic of the horror of war in the Pacific as the palm trees and the islands.' Sledge wrote starkly of the brutality displayed by Japanese soldiers during the battles and of the hatred that both sides harbored for each other. It brings the reader into the island hopping, the jungle heat and rain, the filth and malaise, the fear of potential banzai attacks, and the hopelessness and loss of humanity that characterized the campaign in the Pacific. His memoir is a front-line account of infantry combat in the Pacific War. Sledge's memoir gives a firsthand perspective on the Pacific Theatre. The book was first published under its final title by the Presidio Press in 1981. The book's working title was A Marine Mortarman in World War II, which Sledge later changed to Into The Abyss. Nicknamed 'Sledgehammer' by his comrades, Sledge experienced combat during the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa as a 60 mm mortarman while part of K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division ( K/3/5). The book formed part of the basis of the material covered by Ken Burns' PBS documentary The War (2007), as well as the HBO miniseries The Pacific (2010), in which Sledge was portrayed by Joseph Mazzello.īy his own account, Sledge began writing the memoir in 1944, 'immediately after Peleliu while we were in rest camp on Pavuvu Island' and continued working on it 'as soon as I returned to civilian life' in 1946. The memoir is based on notes Sledge kept tucked away in a pocket-sized Bible he carried with him during battles he fought at Peleliu and Okinawa. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa is a World War II memoir by United States Marine Eugene Sledge, first published in 1981. JSTOR ( November 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: 'With the Old Breed' – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.

With the old breed at peleliu and okinawa