Combat Officer: A Memoir of War in the South PacificTO HELL AND BACK For the U.S., Guadalcanal was a bloody seven-month struggle under brutal conditions against crack Japanese troops deeply entrenched and determined to fight to the death. For Charles Walker, this horrific jungle battle–one that claimed the lives of 1,600 Americans and more than 23,000 Japanese–was just the beginning. On the eve of battle, 2nd Lt. Walker was ordered back to the States for medical reasons. But there was a war to be won, and he had no intention of missing it. In this devastatingly powerful memoir, Walker captures the conflict in all its horror, chaos, and heroism: the hunger, the heat, the deafening explosions and stench of death, the constant fear broken by moments of sheer terror. This is the gripping tale of the brave young American men who fought with tremendous courage in appalling conditions, willing to sacrifice everything for their country. Look for these books about Americans who fought World War II: VISIONS FROM A FOXHOLE A Rifleman in Patton’s Ghost Corps by William A. Foley Jr. BEHIND HITLER’S LINES The True Story of the Only Soldier to Fight for Both America and the Soviet Union in World War II by Thomas H. Taylor NO BENDED KNEE The Battle for Guadalcanal by Gen. Merrill B. Twining, USMC (Ret.) ALL THE WAY TO BERLIN A Paratrooper at War in Europe by James Megellas |
Contents
Section 1 | 1 |
Section 2 | 9 |
Section 3 | 18 |
Section 4 | 26 |
Section 5 | 31 |
Section 6 | 40 |
Section 7 | 48 |
Section 8 | 55 |
Section 20 | 145 |
Section 21 | 149 |
Section 22 | 154 |
Section 23 | 162 |
Section 24 | 170 |
Section 25 | 173 |
Section 26 | 178 |
Section 27 | 182 |
Section 9 | 62 |
Section 10 | 69 |
Section 11 | 84 |
Section 12 | 93 |
Section 13 | 104 |
Section 14 | 113 |
Section 15 | 120 |
Section 16 | 124 |
Section 17 | 128 |
Section 18 | 134 |
Section 19 | 139 |
Section 28 | 188 |
Section 29 | 194 |
Section 30 | 199 |
Section 31 | 208 |
Section 32 | 213 |
Section 33 | 218 |
Section 34 | 222 |
Section 35 | 228 |
Section 36 | 232 |
Section 37 | 241 |
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Common terms and phrases
164th Infantry 60mm mortars Abijao afternoon aircraft airfield Americal Division ammunition arrived asked Atsugi Airfield attack battalion beach began bomb Bougainville bullet captain Cebu City climb Colonel commander Company H crew dark daylight Dick Hamer dropped Dumaguette Easy Company edge Edward Cakobau enemy explosion farther Fedje feet fighter Filipino finally front going grenade Guadalcanal Hamer headquarters heard heavy Henderson Field hill hole hundred yards island Japanese Japanese soldier jeep jungle killed knew Koli Point landing later Lieutenant loaded looked machine gun Marines miles morning mortar shells mountain moved Nambu nearly night officer Ormoc patrol Paul is dead perimeter pilot platoon Point Cruz position PT boat radio rear regimental ridge rifle road rounds sergeant Sherar ship shoot shot side spot stopped tent told took Torokina River trail tree troops trucks walked weapons wire wounded