Chronicling the growth of a recruit from boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, to a seasoned troop leader, this memoir also relates the experiences of the 200 marines in A Company, First Battalion, Second Marines, as they engaged in island warfare in the South Pacific at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian.

Retired attorney William W. Rogal practiced law for more than 40 years and also worked for the Federal Trade Commission. He lives in Annandale, Virginia.

William W. Rogal
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 214
Bibliographic Info: 35 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4671-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5585-0
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

1. Joining the Marines      3

2. Boot Camp      7

3. The Fifth Marines      19

4. The Second Marines      40

5. Tulagi and Guadalcanal      53

6. Respite in New Zealand      109

7. Tarawa      119

8. Saipan and Tinian      148

9. Camp Pendleton      178

10. China      184

11. Rejoining the World      198

Bibliography      203

Index      205

A Library Journal Starred Review
“irresistible…well worth reading, one of the best first-person war narratives”—Library Journal; “if I were asked to identify a model combat memoir, this would be it. William W. Rogal has a great story, and he tells it deftly…truly outstanding”—United States Naval Institute; “a gripping memoir”—Proceedings.