Eric S. Wagner Kelvyn Park High School

As a military veteran, I found E. B. Sledge's With the Old Breed to be an outstanding narrative of the war in the Pacific. Sledge delivers a plain spoken and endearing story to the reader. Sledge speaks from the point of view of the average soldier and gives the reader a glimpse into the world of misery and bravery that is the reality for young men in combat. Sledge uses simple, vivid language to give the reader a precise view of the sights, sounds and smells of war. Students that read this book will be given a clear insight into the true nature of war and how normal people can brilliantly rise to the this ultimate challenge and at the same point descend into the depths of savagery.

Sledge's description of his initial experiences when he began basic training closely resembled my own memories of my days in basic. Sledge's description of Corporal Doherty, a drill instructor, brought back memories of my own instructors. Sledge writes, "That Corporal Doherty was tough and hard as nails none of us ever doubted. Most Marines recall how loudly their DIs yelled at them, but Doherty didn't yell very loudly. Instead he shouted in an icy, menacing manner that sent chills through us. We believed that if he didn't scare us to death, the Japs couldn't kill us" (9). This insight into the world of a new soldier is simple and to the point.

I was very impressed with how the author dealt with his own feelings of fear and misgiving. On the night before he goes into battle for the first time Sledge gives the reader a glimpse into his own private battle. Sledge writes, "My heart pounded, and I broke into a cold sweat. Finally, I called myself a coward and eventually fell asleep saying the Lord's Prayer to myself" (50). The experience of a man questioning his own worth and ability in the face of adversity is a test that many men face in their lives. Sledge in a simple fashion verbalizes the feelings that many men may find difficult to articulate.

I think that Sledge's greatest strength is in the way he describes the sights, sounds and smells of war. Many of our student's concepts of war have been shaped by the clean and surgical view of combat that many see on the nightly news. In contrast to today's world of precision guided munitions and surgical strike air campaigns, Sledge gives the reader a true depiction of the misery and waste of war. When the author witnesses the mutilation of Japanese dead he writes, "It was uncivilized, as is all war, and was carried out with that particular savagery that characterized the struggle between the Marines and the Japanese. It wasn't simply souvenir hunting or looting the enemy dead; it was more like Indian warriors taking scalps" (120). I think that Sledge's account of the life of a young Marine infantryman caught up in a world of brutality and waste is compelling. Sledge speaks from the heart and this makes his story the more appealing and believable.

I would recommend that any young person contemplating a career in the military read this book. I would also recommend this book to students and hope that after they read it that they may find a greater appreciation for the sacrifices that many of their great-grand fathers made.

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