With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

E.B. Sledge has written a fantastic first person account of his service with the First Marines in World War II and the battles he participated in with that storied outfit at Peleliu and Okinawa. This is an important book for two reasons. First, the American soldier is rendered as a figure due even higher esteem for the hell he endured in Pacific fighting. Second, any notion of war as a romantic or gloried enterprise for those fighting and dying is stripped away entirely. Sledge, inevitably perhaps nicknamed Sledgehammer by his fellow soldiers, left officer candidate school at college in order to take a much quicker route to the fighting via the enlisted ranks. He was somewhat out of character for a typical recruit (though a large number of his ROTC fellows did the same at his school) in that he came from wealth (his father was a physician) and had been exposed to a more genteel form of life growing up than that which characterized his comrades. This did not place any barriers between Sledge and those he would fight and live with for two years in some of the worst hell seen by U.S. forces during World War II. It did, perhaps, give him the desire and ability to keep notes of his experience in the pages of a New Testament he carried with him thus providing the possibility of this important book. I have read many memoires of soldiers from different wars. Perhaps it was easier to see war as romance for those who fought and survived in set piece battles like Monmouth or Gettysburg. Death and destruction certainly reigned at those fields of battle, but at least the troops could count on relief after a brief close encounter with the enemy (hours to a few days). Then it was back to camp where relative safety could be found. At Peleliu and Okinawa, Sledge and his fellow Marines were in constant contact with the Japanese for months at a time saving brief respites in reserve in areas that were often still in artillery range of their enemy. Sledge spares nothing in what seems to be a very accurate description of life during those battles. This includes rotting and maggot infested dead as well as battlefields and foxholes overrun with human waste from front lines that often did not move for weeks at a time. Their enemy, pledged en mass not to surrender, had to be shot, shelled, burned and dug out of caves and emplacements. Nighttime brought even greater stress as the Japanese relied heavily on infiltration tactics where individual soldiers would crawl under cover of darkness toward our lines in hopes of knifing or shooting a couple of Americans in their foxholes before being put down. Thus, sleep did not come easily or in long periods for Sledge and his fellow Marines. No white flag that would cause Japanese soldiers to rise from their bunkers and surrender as a coherent force when it was obvious they could not prevail and were out of provisions could be counted on. Just the extermination man by man of a foe determined to die for his emperor and the resulting increased casualties rooting out the enemy to the last entailed for Americans. Sledge gives the incredible statistic that some 8,000 Japanese soldiers were killed in these operations on Okinawa after American forces controlled the entirety of the island above ground - and many extra American lives were the price of this fanatical devotion to "no surrender." I found the book riveting. It is well written, but the detail of the experience Sledge and his fellow Marines endured in fighting for his country is astounding and ought to be read by anyone who thinks war romantic or a high ideal in any way. It is amazing what our soldiers were willing to endure in wresting the Pacific back from the Japanese - they did it with excellent discipline and maintained a fighting edge even when wracked by lack of supplies, constant rain and / or oppressive heat, battle fatigue and the accumulation of wounds, sores and ailments due to lengthy exposure to battle - and always with the knowledge that their foe was not one who could be maneuvered into retreat but a hardened adversary who had to be taken out where they were found at great cost in blood.

I had spotted this book on multiple lists recommending it as an excellent book on island combat in the Pacific theater of World War II. Unfortunately, the title threw me off a little. The title is taken from a quote at the front of the book from another book (I believe one on WWI trench war fare). The quote is supposed to enlighten us on how the author, as a young marine recruit, developed tremendous respect for the marines with previous combat experience and how the training and mentoring he received from them kept him alive. That concept certainly comes through in the story as well. Sledge competently tells his own story of how he joined the marines, survived difficult training and then was one of the few marines in his company to survive two gruesome battles unwounded. Sledge started writing his own story intending it only for his family. Excerpts were published in a military magazine and then ultimately the entire story was published in a book that went on to be a best seller, and deservedly so. Sledge tells the story simply and honestly. He is a good writer, with a fine economy of words, but a gift at expanding the narrative to describe quite graphically the circumstances in which he found himself. Through his journey one learns about the grind of intense training, the quirky humor of odd events, and the frankly disgusting aspects of combat. Sledge shares numerous acts of bravery of his compatriots but also many of heart breaking tragedy. Where he truly excels is sharing the burden of just existing in the combat conditions. Sledge fought in both the Peleliu and Okinawa campaigns. Peleliu was hot, dry and fought on an island that was mostly rock. Okinawa was fought in continuous, heavy rains and in muck and mud. Sledge brings the hardship of both environments to life and how each challenged the will and courage of the American marines. Sledge is honest and blunt with the harsh and brutal tactics of the Japanese but also honest with the anger and aggressive responses of the American forces. Some of the brutality is troubling and the graphic descriptions of the carnage are not easy to read. But from these candid descriptions comes a higher truth about war, courage, fear, and how these events cripple some men and yet some men are able to steel their will and accomplish amazing feats in the most dire of circumstances. Most of us hold those who have served in our military in the highest regard. You will come away from this book with an even greater respect for those who fought and gave so much for us all.

With the Old Breed by Eugene B. Sledge is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and honest memoirs to come out of World War II. The book chronicles Sledge’s experiences as a Marine during the brutal campaigns of Peleliu and Okinawa, where he served in the front lines. What sets this memoir apart is its unflinching honesty. Sledge does not shy away from describing the horrors of war, the fear, and the despair that he and his comrades faced. His detailed recounting of the physical and psychological toll that combat took on the soldiers offers readers a stark and sobering view of the reality of war, without romanticizing or glorifying it. The gripping style of With the Old Breed is another hallmark of Sledge’s writing. His ability to convey the tension and intensity of combat pulls readers into the narrative, making them feel as though they are right there in the foxholes with him. Sledge’s descriptions of the relentless Japanese assaults, the relentless rain of artillery, and the constant threat of death create a vivid and harrowing picture of the battlefield. His storytelling is both vivid and direct, allowing readers to understand not only what happened, but also how it felt to be a part of it. This immediacy in his writing keeps readers engaged and invested in his story. The narrative structure of With the Old Breed is another aspect that makes it an exceptional memoir. Sledge combines his personal experiences with broader reflections on the nature of war and the human condition, creating a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. His careful attention to detail, combined with his ability to weave these details into a coherent and compelling story, results in a memoir that is both informative and moving. The book stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity, making it a classic in the literature of war.

Si se desea tener una idea de lo que vivieron los verdaderos combatientes, a leer sin falta. La experiencia de Sledge y sus cuestionamientos sobre la brutalidad de la guerra y sus consecuencias éticas y morales hacen esta obra indispensable para quien quiera entender lo que realmente vivieron en carne propia los combatientes. La brutalidad y la compasión de una situación como la guerra, como la búsqueda de piezas dentales de oro en los cuerpos de los enemigos muertos o el liderazgo indiscutible de un oficial como "Ak Ak". A leerla si te interesa algo más que las historias de generalotes arrogantes o políticos miserables en la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Great book

Fantastic read, a real page-turner. Only down side is I'll probably never find/read a war memoir this good again.

Throughout the reading of this book I kept asking myself whether I could have handled the combat that these marines went through during WW2. Short answer ‘no’. I’m sure that I would have been driven insane. The author is a very humble man and is very honest with his reactions to some of the terrible things he saw fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa. I would have been honoured to have met him not ‘just’ because of his service but in him having written a book about his experiences that should be required reading for everyone. Rest in peace EB Sledge USMC