Last Man Standing: The 1st Marine Regiment on Peleliu, September 15-21, 1944 [ペーパーバック]

I served with 1st Bn 1st Marines in Vietnam in 1969-70. Chesty Puller has always been a mythical figure to me and other Marines I've served with and know. This account of the Battle of Peleliu does not paint a flattering picture of the way Puller commanded his regiment. Unfortunately we are not given much new information about the battle that we haven't already received from Sledge, Hallas and others. All we really get is that Puller had a disconnect between what was going on in his head and what was really happening. No reason for this. He had excellent battalion commanders one of whom went on to receive the MOH in Korea (Ray Davis) but apparently dismissed their concerns.

Let's not forget Rupertus whose obstinate refusal in the face of mounting casualties to call in reserves was almost criminal.

All in all, a good book that deserves a place next to Sledge's "With the Old Breed" (most of whom were killed on Peleliu) and James Hallas' "Devil's Anvil" on your bookshelf.

"THE LAST MAN STANDING" is in my opinion one of the two best books ever published about one of WWII most horrendous battles. (The other a historical fiction account of this battle is briefly discussed below). The author articulates precisely the planning (or lack there of) and the fighting that ragged for nearly a month on the small Island of Peleliu in the Western Pacific.
Unfortunately for those who took part in this battle, both Naval and Marine Corps commanders at the highest levels exhibited a dearth of command competency. Their pre-invasion planning efforts and the equipping and training of the troops were minimal; followed by flawed command decisions during the battle which needlessly endangered the lives of subordinates. An American force of nearly 10,000 Marines were sent ashore against an estimated 20,000 professionally trained enemy combatants. The Japanese force was properly equipped and entrenched in a vast network of underground bunkers nearly impenetrable to naval gunfire or the bombing efforts of the U.S. Military.
Thus when members of the U.S. Marine Corps' First Division landed on the shore of this small island they found themselves in the middle of a killing field where hundreds of young men died before they ever reached the beach. Once ashore, the level of Marine casualties became near catastrophic; still the commanding officer who was eventually relieved of command, refused to allow the Army to assist his beleaguered troops.
One battalion commander mimicking the commanding general's misguided endeavors, after losing half his force, rejected the advice of his own staff and refused to accept assistance from other units. He ordered his men to carry out repeated attacks upon a Japanese strong point, all of which failed. The battalion experienced over seventy percent casualties before being withdrawn.
An historical fiction account of this famous battle from the viewpoint of a Marine Corps company commander can be found in the book "THE CLASS OF TWENTY-EIGHT." The protagonist in this story led his three hundred man infantry unit in the initial assault onto this island fortress. The company was nearly decimated in the carnage that followed.
To his credit Admiral William "Bull" Halsey tried in vain to persuade Admiral Chester Nimitz, General Douglas MacArthur and the War Department to isolate and blockade this group of islands to avoid another Tarawa debacle. Regrettably his advice was ignored; the decision to proceed with this attack was not one of General MacArthur or Admiral Nimitz's finest hours.
[[ISBN:1-4241-1076-9 Class of Twenty-Eight]]

You will not find a military historian anywhere who has done a better job than Col. Camp has of combining a stirring, exciting and brutal story with a treasure trove of photos. In fact, the number of combat photos in this book can only be described as the motherlode. Rather than distract from the story or act as filler, these photos enhance greatly the reader's enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend it.

J. Gabriel
Cincinnati, OH