Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: DaveBB on June 24, 2017, 10:03:26 AM
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I just returned from a long trip, so I listened to the audiobook "Flags of our Fathers". It tells the stories of what happened to the men who raised the second flag on top of Mount Suribachi. The author of the book was the son of the medic, John Bradley. One of the reasons he wrote the book is because his father would never talk about the war, and after his father's death, he learned that he had earned a Navy Cross in the battle. Mr. Bradley kept those boxes with his medals hidden in his office.
That brings me to Iwo Jima. From what little I learned about it in this book, it was probably the most horrific battle the U.S. was engaged in in the PTO. The famous flag picture was only taken a few days into the battle, which lasted for over 35 days. The Japanese had tunnel systems not only in the famous Mount Suribachi, but also in a vast array of rocky outcroppings. Most of which gave a crossfire in three different directions.
For such an incredibly small island, there were a tremendous amount of men. Over 20,000 Japanese, and eventually 100,000 Marines. All on 8 square miles. I can see why no one wanted to talk about it. John Bradley was once quoted as saying "For many years I've tried forgetting that part of my life", after his teenage son kept pressing him for war stories. Then he went on to tell a very mild version of what happened to his fellow medic and best friend Ralph Ignatowski, who was captured by the Japanese and tortured to death for three days.
On a side note, my grandfather was in the Pacific in the Army. It wasn't until the 90s that I got my dad to ask him where he was stationed or what he actually did. From there the stories did come. Stationed on the island of Tongareva (Penrhyn). Turns out he was the senior englisted man on the island (First Sgt). He even met Mrs. Roosevelt on her tour of the PTO. Trained as an artillery man, a Japanese submarine scouted the island one evening at dusk. The island (which was just an atoll) had 155mm cannons, but never recieved any shells. My grandfather contracted malaria serious enough to be evacuated, and enroute to Hawaii the aircraft (which he just referred to as a 'hospital plane') lost an engine. Fortunately the plane, which I suspect was a C-47, made it back.
Anyhow I digress, does anyone have any suggestions for further reading on this battle? This rarely told piece of history has piqued my interest, and I would like to learn more about it.
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I can't direct you for that particular battle, but for more on the untold war in the Pacific, I can recommend Flyboys, by the same author IIRC.
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There are several good books covering Iwo Jima, all of mine are packed for the move so I can't get a title for you, sorry.
Another good read is "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge or "Helmet for my Pillow" by Robert Leckie. Neither were on Iwo Jima but cover southwest Pacific campaigns giving a good idea what it was like for the individual soldier or Marine.
I think in brutality Okinawa was as bad as Iwo Jima -- none of the Pacific battles were easy.
My father was an Army Signal Corp steel tower rigger with a unit that deployed radar jamming equipment. He landed on Iwo just a few days after the Marines had landed and while not a combat troop was witness to parts of the battle, was wounded during a night bombing attack and engaged Japanese troops one night when they attacked through the airfield.
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I just returned from a long trip, so I listened to the audiobook "Flags of our Fathers". It tells the stories of what happened to the men who raised the second flag on top of Mount Suribachi. The author of the book was the son of the medic, John Bradley. One of the reasons he wrote the book is because his father would never talk about the war, and after his father's death, he learned that he had earned a Navy Cross in the battle. Mr. Bradley kept those boxes with his medals hidden in his office.
In 2016, the US Navy determined that John Bradley did not take part in the 2nd flag raising.
An excellent book on Iwo Jima is "A Tomb Called Iwo Jima" by Dan King. It's a book using first hand accounts from Japanese survivors of the battle to tell the story before, during and after the battle.
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I have read "Islands of the Damned" by R.V. Burgin. He was Eugene Sledges squad leader. I've also read "The Pacific" by Hugh Ambrose.
Back to Iwo Jima. There were two flag raisings. While good for morale, the flags were raised at the beginning of the battle. The vast majority of killing and dying would take place over the next 30 days.
I think it was on Iwo Jima that Medal of Honor winnner (from Guadalcanal) John Basilone was killed during the initial invasion. The Japanese let all the Americans land on the beach and get jammed up before opening up with everything from machine guns to heavy artillery.
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In 2016, the US Navy determined that John Bradley did not take part in the 2nd flag raising.
An excellent book on Iwo Jima is "A Tomb Called Iwo Jima" by Dan King. It's a book using first hand accounts from Japanese survivors of the battle to tell the story before, during and after the battle.
He was in the first one, though. Still a compelling book (and film), too.
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I've read probably 100 books or more on war. Many are great, but there is one book that is so good that I recommend it this way:
If in your entire life you read only one book on war, this should be the one.
With the Old Breed, by E. B. Sledge.
It is a highly acclaimed, masterfully written book by a guy who fought through Peleliu and Okinawa and describes in vivid detail the full measure of what Pacific fighting was truly like.
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I've read probably 100 books or more on war. Many are great, but there is one book that is so good that I recommend it this way:
If in your entire life you read only one book on war, this should be the one.
With the Old Breed, by E. B. Sledge.
It is a highly acclaimed, masterfully written book by a guy who fought through Peleliu and Okinawa and describes in vivid detail the full measure of what Pacific fighting was truly like.
I just picked it up for my Kindle on your recommendation. <S> Thanks.
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I just picked it up for my Kindle on your recommendation. <S> Thanks.
You won't regret. I think that entire series of books that came with The Pacific is great. Several guys served together and/or in the same unit so you get a different view sometimes of the same event.
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I just returned from a long trip, so I listened to the audiobook "Flags of our Fathers". It tells the stories of what happened to the men who raised the second flag on top of Mount Suribachi. The author of the book was the son of the medic, John Bradley. One of the reasons he wrote the book is because his father would never talk about the war, and after his father's death, he learned that he had earned a Navy Cross in the battle. Mr. Bradley kept those boxes with his medals hidden in his office.
That brings me to Iwo Jima. From what little I learned about it in this book, it was probably the most horrific battle the U.S. was engaged in in the PTO. The famous flag picture was only taken a few days into the battle, which lasted for over 35 days. The Japanese had tunnel systems not only in the famous Mount Suribachi, but also in a vast array of rocky outcroppings. Most of which gave a crossfire in three different directions.
For such an incredibly small island, there were a tremendous amount of men. Over 20,000 Japanese, and eventually 100,000 Marines. All on 8 square miles. I can see why no one wanted to talk about it. John Bradley was once quoted as saying "For many years I've tried forgetting that part of my life", after his teenage son kept pressing him for war stories. Then he went on to tell a very mild version of what happened to his fellow medic and best friend Ralph Ignatowski, who was captured by the Japanese and tortured to death for three days.
On a side note, my grandfather was in the Pacific in the Army. It wasn't until the 90s that I got my dad to ask him where he was stationed or what he actually did. From there the stories did come. Stationed on the island of Tongareva (Penrhyn). Turns out he was the senior englisted man on the island (First Sgt). He even met Mrs. Roosevelt on her tour of the PTO. Trained as an artillery man, a Japanese submarine scouted the island one evening at dusk. The island (which was just an atoll) had 155mm cannons, but never recieved any shells. My grandfather contracted malaria serious enough to be evacuated, and enroute to Hawaii the aircraft (which he just referred to as a 'hospital plane') lost an engine. Fortunately the plane, which I suspect was a C-47, made it back.
Anyhow I digress, does anyone have any suggestions for further reading on this battle? This rarely told piece of history has piqued my interest, and I would like to learn more about it.
Okinawa was worst. Palilu was the bloodiest.
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I watched the movie
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I don't know how you can rate the savagery of any battle. Certainly Iwo was hell, but I believe the guys on Okinawa were in it longer and I also believe at Pelileu they were too. Horrific casualties and brutality that most of us could never imagine or understand despite all the books.
Agreed with Brooke that "With the Old Breed" by Sledge would be top of the list.
Going to disagree with Serenity on Flyboys. That was a huge disappointment to me after "Flag of our Fathers." The passion to tell his Dad's story came through in "Flag of". He was just writing a book with Flyboys. It lacked the passion of the first.
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We can agree that the majority of Pacific fighting was horrific.
David Hackworth once said that when one side is ordered to "hold at all costs", and the other is ordered to "take at all costs", that is when things get extremely nasty. And that seems to have been pretty much the case of the entire Pacific.