Tracy Freeman Normal Community West High School

Unbelievable! E.B.Sledges's With the Old Breed is one of those books that you will never forget! The stories of what he and his bothers endured will stay with you and any student who reads this book. Mr. Sledge provides us with a graphic account of the war in the Pacific and the training he endured to get there. Very few books contain as many descriptive accounts of the horror of war and itself and often the actions of American soldiers in battle. I found it very difficult to put down the book and at the same time, often difficult to continue reading.

Sledge begins with a description of Marine Corps boot camp. As a person with no military experience, my only impression of boot camp came from Hollywood. The drills, yelling and what seemed like inhumane treatments of the grunts made no sense to me, until I read Sledge. Now, I feel like I have had it "explained". Sledge says, "boot camp taught me that I was expected to excel, or try to, even under stress" (157). This was just the beginning of the lessons I learned from Sledge.

The brief and very relevant explanation of the USMC and its make up or breakdown was very informative and not overly done. I found the amount of time spent to the history of the USMC and the explanation of the divisions necessary to understand some of the friendships and even the near internal rivalry between divisions. On a personal note, it provided me with an insight to my husband's (USMC) military background and training as well. It helped me see or possibly understand the rivalry between other members of his family (Navy and Army trained).

The most gripping part of the book, especially for use with high school students would have to be the accounts from the two battles. The details of the difficulties the men faced both in the rock of Peleliu and the mud of Okinawa, the description of the death and stress faced by these soldiers and the often-horrific actions of the American soldiers bring this war to life. They are difficult to read, but unforgettable passages that take us back into time and place us in the middle of these two battles.

Sledge also provides an insight into the bond that develops between soldiers in war. After all he had been through, he still openly grieves when he hears of his leader (Haldane) dying. He describes the treatment and care given to wounded men, as they would risk their lives to retrieve the wounded. This is shown again through the insistence that the dead marines be covered and properly buried even in the "heat of battle" and the respect for men doing these types of tasks. I felt like I was being given a peek into an otherwise closed world.

This book provides an incredible opportunity to hear first hand the determination of the Japanese soldiers and people. The description of shell shock and trench warfare that relate back to WWI show Sledge's knowledge and provide an opportunity to use with students. I would strongly recommend reading this book and haring it with your students. It explains a great deal about the WWII generation, gives merit to the claim that they are indeed the "greatest generation" and helps us realize what was sacrificed and survived by so many men for our country. Sledge said "None of us would ever the same after what we had endured . . . something in me died at Peleliu. . . . Possibly I lost faith that politicians in high places who do not have to endure war's savagery will ever stop blundering and sending other to endure it." This novel allows war to become real and much less (Hollywood) glamorous. The use of excerpts from this book will bring the horrors of war to life for any of our students.

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