The author writes, "I never asked my Daddy what he did in the war. I somehow knew he would not talk about it. I was seven years old when he came home in late 1945. I knew he was gone, and now was back. My mother had dozens of letters from him, but I did not read any of them. A seven year old boy has other things on his mind." However, this question was asked by many, and answered by few. There were two reasons for this. One, what they saw and experienced in the heat of combat was so horrifying, that they were not about to share with anyone. They tried to put it behind them. The second reason was the more likely one. They did not think what they did was special.. These men, and women, were products of the Depression. They were given nothing, expected nothing, but knew how to get the job done. Every man in Mr. Carlisle's book said they did not worry about the flag, or Mom's Apple Pie. Their greatest concern was not to let their buddies down. These stories came from many different branches of the service. When the Korean War ended without victory, and was followed by Viet Nam, they were concerned that these young people had not been able to fight a war in the "proper" way; no holds barred, you are right, he is wrong, and send him to hell. After Mr. Brokaw wrote his book, they began to realize...they were special. Now, at the end, they are ready to talk. This book answers important questions that have been puzzling historians. Why did the Air Corps gunner shoot down a British Spitfire? How close was an American plane that day at Nagasaki? While floating down in his parachute, what was the airman thinking about? This is their words about their war.

Helmet for My Pillow is a gripping memoir that transports readers to the frontlines of World War II through the eyes of Robert Leckie, a young Marine who fought in some of the most brutal battles of the Pacific Theater. With raw honesty and vivid prose, Leckie recounts his experiences from boot camp to the bloody battles of Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu, offering a deeply personal perspective on the sacrifices, camaraderie, and horrors of war. This powerful narrative serves as a testament to the courage and resilience of the men who fought and died in the Pacific, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the realities of combat and the human cost of war.

Held prisoner for three horrific years, U.S. Marine Sergeant Major Charles R. Jackson survived the war and penned his memoir, though it went unpublished and forgotten for decades. That is until Bruce Doc Norton, himself a decorated U.S. Marine veteran, and an acclaimed military historian, brought the memoir to light. In a rare look into the heart of combat, Sergeant Major Jackson describes the fierce and ultimately losing battle for Corregidor, the surrender of thousands of Marines, and the death marches that followed. And all this was simply a prelude to the fight for survival that would take place in the POW camps. Jacksons memoir gives voice to the thousands of men who fought and died during WWII, in the Pacific. His character and spirit evoke the very definition of the Marine Corps's motto, Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful.

Jack H. McCall Sr. was a born storyteller, an inveterate practical joker, and a proud Tennessean whose flaws included a considerable taste for candy, or "pogiebait" in Marine parlance. Like so many other able-bodied young people in on the eve of World War II, he decided to enlist in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Much more than a family memoir or nostalgic wartime reminiscence, this painstakingly researched biography presents a rich, engaging study of the U.S. Marine Corps, particularly McCall's understudied unit, the Ninth Defense Battalion--the "Fighting Ninth." The author provides a window into the day-to-day service of a Marine during World War II, with important coverage of fighting in the Pacific Theater. McCall also depicts life in wartime Franklin, Tennessee, and offers a poignant and personal tribute to his father. McCall dramatizes some of the classic themes of the war memoir genre (war is hell, but memories fade!), but he sets riveting descriptions of decisive action against rarely seen views of mundane work and daily life, supported with maps, photographs, and fresh interpretations. Another distinction of this work is its attention to the action on Guam, a very unpleasant late-war "mopping up" that has received relatively little scholarly attention. In his portrait of the bitter island-hopping war in the Pacific, the author shows how both U.S. and Japanese soldiers were often eager innocents drawn to the cauldron of conflict and indoctrinated and trained by their respective governments. Reflecting on the action late in life, Jack (as well as several other Ninth veterans) came to a begrudging respect for the enemy.

For Dutton Caliber's American War Heroes series, the dramatic tale of Marine Corps legend Chesty Puller, focusing on his combat service during the Pacific War. Chesty Puller is an American legend. He began his career fighting guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua during the 1920s and 1930s before displaying astonishing battlefield bravery in the Pacific during World War II. From Henderson Field to Peleliu, his courage under fire and unbreakable devotion to his men inspired not just those under his own command but marines everywhere. As the war marched on, one bloody battle after another, Chesty became the most decorated marine in U.S. history. Now, acclaimed World War II historian John Wukovits tells the story of Chesty Puller's heroism in the Pacific War.

Colonel George M. Chinn's (1902–1987) life story reads more like fiction than the biography of a Kentucky soldier. A smart and fun-loving character, Chinn attended Centre College and played on the famous "Praying Colonels" football team that won the 1921 national championship. After graduation, he returned to his home in Mercer County and partnered with munitions expert "Tunnel" Smith to dynamite a cliff. The resulting hole became Chinn's Cave House—a diner that also functioned as an underground gambling operation during Prohibition. He even served as Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler's bodyguard before joining the Marine Corps in 1943. In Kentucky Maverick, Carlton Jackson details the life of a legendary and highly decorated Marine whose career spanned both world wars, the Korean War, and Vietnam. Chinn's service paired a love of history with a special kind of genius: he documented the history of military technology while designing innovative weapons such as the M-19 automatic grenade launcher, which is still used in the armed forces today. After leaving the Corps, Chinn leaned on his many connections to become the director of the Kentucky Historical Society. Carlton Jackson's entertaining biography weaves together outrageous tales of gunplay and politics while revealing Chinn's sense of humor, unbending will, and a sense of destiny that could only be fulfilled by a true twentieth-century Renaissance man.