Very succinct and to the point biography about the battles on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Sometimes it’s painful to hear about the moments these heroes went though. The pain, blood, and tears. It should never be forgotten. Best quote:

“What sticks with me now is not so much the pain and terror and sorrow of the war, though I remember that well enough. What really sticks with me is the honor I had of defending my country, and of serving in the company of these men.” ( )

First hand account of marine fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese. The brutality and terrible conditions were a revelation. ( )

This review will serve as a review for two WW2 memoirs that unrelated by distance and disparate cultures are inexorably bound by the profound similarities of their wartime experiences. One was a heavy machine gunner for the German Wehrmacht and the second was a mortar gunner for the US Marine Corp. Both started as replacements but were very soon the veterans. Both served in hellishly brutal campaigns; one started at Stalingrad and fought all the way back to Germany during the retreat from Russia, the other was part of four island landings, Peleliu and Okinawa, two notable for their US casualties, as part of the "Old Breed" in the Pacific. Their experiences clearly demonstrate that "War is Hell"
Not authors but storytellers as they describe the wounding and deaths of their comrades some of whom, they never knew their names. Neither side was taking prisoners and it seemed appropriate given the circumstances. Heroism abounded and ineptitude at the command level was a frequent cause of casualties. Hitler's and Tojo's ambitions sent them to a war that became a fight to the bitter end. That both survived and lived long lives enabled them to write these fitting memorials to their comrades. ( )

A wonderful first-person view of the some the most fierce fighting during WW2. R.V. Burgin is a naturally likable person and his personality and character comes through in his autobiography. Great insight on what it means to be a Marine and how one deals successfully with life in combat. ( )