recommending a book - Outlaw Platoon

[Nebe]

Yes. He passed away 5 years ago, and in his final years worked very closely with the author of the book to get his experience on paper. It was a great read. Wading across the lagoon in Tarawa drove me to tears.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Nebe

Yes. He passed away 5 years ago, and in his final years worked very closely with the author of the book to get his experience on paper. It was a great read. Wading across the lagoon in Tarawa drove me to tears.
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Holy sh*t, he was a Marine at Tarawa? I know of that battle, which might have been the most ferocious (if you measure that by deaths per hour) in the entire war. Due to a variety of scientific factors, the tides were way lower than expected that day, so all of the Higgins boats bottomed out on the reef hundreds of yards from shore, so all the Marines had to wade in chest deep water, across a lagoon protected by a series of machine gun nests. Shooting fish in a barrel. The assault in was led by Colonel Shoup, who won the medal of honor. Many marines were awarded the medal of honor as a result of that battle, which goes down with Tripoli and the Chosin Reservoir in Marine Corps history.

I'll be getting that book.

Wow.

You should be mighty proud...

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Holy sh*t, he was a Marine at Tarawa? I know of that battle, which might have been the most ferocious (if you measure that by deaths per hour) in the entire war. Due to a variety of scientific factors, the tides were way lower than expected that day, so all of the Higgins boats bottomed out on the reef hundreds of yards from shore, so all the Marines had to wade in chest deep water, across a lagoon protected by a series of machine gun nests. Shooting fish in a barrel. The assault in was led by Colonel Shoup, who won the medal of honor. Many marines were awarded the medal of honor as a result of that battle, which goes down with Tripoli and the Chosin Reservoir in Marine Corps history.

I'll be getting that book.

Wow.

You should be mighty proud...

I am proud

He fought at Guadalcanal, Tarawa and was seriously injured in Saipan. He gave me an officers sword from Tarawa that is riddled with bullet holes. They cut through the blade like a plasma cutter.
His stories in the book are not all about battles... I learned I have an uncle in New Zealand...quite an eye opener to discover that in a book.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I am proud

He fought at Guadalcanal, Tarawa and was seriously injured in Saipan. He gave me an officers sword from Tarawa that is riddled with bullet holes. They cut through the blade like a plasma cutter.
His stories in the book are not all about battles... I learned I have an uncle in New Zealand...quite an eye opener to discover that in a book.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Those are 3 of the most ferocious battles in our nation's history. All eventually won by your grandfather and his buddies. He saw some things, boy. Saipan is where all the Japanese civilians, once it was clear the Marines were going to win, jumped to their deaths off a cliff. Women jumped off clutching their infants. Not sure how one witnesses that and ever gets a good night's sleep again.

Can I ask his name, so I'll know who it is in the book?

Was he in the Marines before WWII started?

Thanks for sharing a deeply personal part of your family's contributions to our country.