With The Old Breed is considered not only the best first-person narrative of World War II but also of war in general. I can see why. It's a tremendous book, and you'll learn more about war than you want to know.
Some things from the book that stuck with me.
Sledge's description of the impact that the initial 1944 Peleliu assault had on him. I was struck by the fact that he says that nothing since that time has been as momentous in his life. From reading his book as well as the introduction to the book, I think that Sledge is a normal, well-adjusted human being. He's not a cold-hearted, emotionally-stunted killing machine. If that's a true assessment, then you get a small sense of the impact of this horrific, extraordinary event.
Everything my life has been before and has been after pales in the light of that awesome moment when my amtrac started in amid a thunderous bombardment toward the flaming, smoke-shrouded beach for the assault on Peleliu. (pg 52)
When my grandfather returned from the Pacific theatre he had taken up cigar smoking. He smoked cigars at least through the 1970's. He'd been in demolitions. I learned in this book that cigars were used to light satchel charge explosives. My grandmother had always assumed that it was just a bad habit that he had picked up overseas but apparently it was a job requirement.
There are several gruesome accounts of battlegrounds where the lightly buried Japanese dead continue to be a disgusting nuisance. Whether digging foxholes for cover or walking down slippery slopes, soldiers frequently ended up covered in maggots from the decomposing enemy that lie about.
2 comments:
About Dr. Sledge - In '63 and '64 my future wife and I took Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and other courses from Dr. Sledge. He was a truly nice, gentle fellow who never once mentioned his WWII experience.
In retrospect, I add that Dr. Sledge was impervious to the awful smell in the CVA lab. Once, while he was pointing out something in a dissection and took out a sandwich, dripping with mayonaise, with his other hand, taking a bite, a few instantly vomited and we all were sick!
In 1983, I was a Navy Commander stationed in D.C. on White House duty (Presidential Support). My wife and I lived on Bolling AFB in officer housing. Across the street from us lived a true, rough edged Marine Colonel. He actually ran to and from the Pentagon, all the way across D.C., with a pack on his back! One day he asked my wife and I where we went to college. When she said, "a place that you probably haven't heard of, in MONTEVALLO, Alabama", his whole personality changed. He meekly asked, "Did you KNOW Sledgehammer?" It was like we had just been with Jesus! His perception of Dr. Sledge was completely reverse of ours. Unbelievable!
Thank you for sharing those anecdotes, Navalman!
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