Thomas F. (hardtack) -
A very interesting tale from a National Guard officer whose regiment was assigned to a regular Army division. The author relates the class distinctions between regulars and the National Guard that existed throughout the war.
He also tells how officers and NCOs who served in the Guard outfit for years were discovered unsuitable for their positions as leaders in combat, and how they were eventually replaced, got sick or died.
I was fascinated, but not really surprised, by his constant telling of how the U.S. Army screwed up the replacement process and how senior officers treated the infantry as a necessary evil to ensure their promotions.
From my readings of veterans from both the Pacific and European theaters, the Army officers who were responsible for the Army's replacement policy should have been severely punished after WW II.
Considering that the author eventually became a one-star general himself in the post-war National Guard, I hope he remembered the lessons he learned at war.
He also tells how officers and NCOs who served in the Guard outfit for years were discovered unsuitable for their positions as leaders in combat, and how they were eventually replaced, got sick or died.
I was fascinated, but not really surprised, by his constant telling of how the U.S. Army screwed up the replacement process and how senior officers treated the infantry as a necessary evil to ensure their promotions.
From my readings of veterans from both the Pacific and European theaters, the Army officers who were responsible for the Army's replacement policy should have been severely punished after WW II.
Considering that the author eventually became a one-star general himself in the post-war National Guard, I hope he remembered the lessons he learned at war.
Dennis M. (dennydog) reviewed Across the Dark Islands: The War in the Pacific on + 28 more book reviews
Excellent first person narrative of a National Guard Infantry line officer in the South Pacific campaigns of World War II. Then Lieutenant Radike's reminiscences appear to have been carefully edited by his widow and published after his death. Central characters have been re named (to protect the guilty, I imagine) but you can actually identify them via careful Google research.
