Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 9/17/2020 + 2701 more book reviews

While I mostly enjoyed the book, readers should read Manchester's preface before beginning the book. There he states portions of the book are fictionalized, as he used stories he heard from other Marines during his service.

While Manchester was in the Marines during World War II, the only combat he saw was as a machine gunner on Okinawa in 1944. This is not to understate Manchester's bravery as a Marine. In fact, more Marines died on Okinawa then on any other Pacific island. Okinawa was an extremely tough battle which saw terrible casualties on each side. Manchester was wounded during the battle and didn't serve in combat again. Manchester did not serve in any of the other island conflicts, even though in the book he writes as if he did.

I actually read this book in the late 1970s. Some of the things he mentions as "true" made me "gag," as they were just stories Marines tell each other, and were still doing so decades later when I served in the Marines.

I've read books on the Battle of Okinawa and served there for a total of 10 months. The really dark side of the battle was the terrible suffering of the Okinawan civilians.

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