With the Old Breed

Bryan Guerra
History 102
Professor Morales
November 13, 2014

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The book With the Old Breed describes the war experience of Eugene B.Sledge, a
Marine in the 1st Marine Division fighting the Japanese in World War 2. He describes the
conditions that the Marines went through in the islands because of the climate they had to endure
and how they had to pass the time when they had nothing to do. The United States declared war
on Japan after the Japanese attacked the Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor. The United States used the
method of Island hopping against the Japanese to take important bases the Japanese had and it
wouldve been easier than taking all the islands at once. The book describes the battles of Peleliu
and Okinawa and how the conditions were in the battles, his experience in the war and growing
Anti-Japanese Semitism.
The author describes his encounter at the assault of Peleliu and the effects it had on him
and what he didnt expect to happen. He explains how the U.S navy was bombing the island
before the Marines assaulted the island. Before the assault on the island he describes his stomach
being tied in knots, having a lump in his throat and only being able to swallow with great
difficulty. This helps show the suspense and nervousness of war but, this is just the beginning
because he wasnt even in combat yet. As well he describes the defense of the beachhead by the
Japanese in which he describes hearing their machine gun and rifle fire getting thicker increasing
in volume. When the marines finally took the beachhead, Eugene explains how there was a lot of
chaos since there werent many officers to keep order until unfamiliar officers and NCOs started
to give off orders. The battle of Peleliu was significant because it had a lot of controversial issues
such as if the island was even worth the casualties and the airfield capture didnt play a key role
in other important operations. As well this battle was overshadowed compared to the return of
Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines or the push to Germany in the European front. The battle \

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did have its positives although; it helped the marines learn how to assault heavy Japanese forces
which will give them a significant advantage for the invasion of Okinawa.
The battle of Okinawa was way more difficult than the battle of Peleliu. First, it had more
defenders, and the Japanese learned from the island to make their defenses stronger as well they
had some of their best troops on the island since it was a Japanese territory in the first place
according to a letter written by Captain, Thomas J.Stanley to Sledgehammer. As well it was one
of the bloodiest battles in the pacific theater with over twelve thousand American casualties. The
Japanese suffered around one hundred thousand casualties. They also forced some Okinawans to
join the Japanese military or be killed. The battle of Okinawa was important because the island
was close to the Japanese mainland and can be established as a air base for the invasion of Japan.
According to Eugene, when they landed on the beach they didnt encounter any enemy resistance
and were expecting a huge defense just like in Peleliu. He does say though that he can Japanese
Zeros attacking and committing kamikaze attacks against Navy battle ships. Eugene also
explains how at night time some Japanese soldiers would sneak up on sleeping marines and
throw a grenade or run at them with a sword or knife. So the marines had to maintain a keen
watch while his buddy slept to be safe. Eugene also mentions how he can see dead Japanese
troops on the sides torn apart and being eaten by maggots which helps give a vivid description of
how bad the war was in the island. He also explains how the weather conditions made it worse
on the battlefield because it made the living more miserable because the rain and mud would
leave troops feet wet which would then become painful because it became really hard to keep
their feet wet. It would make their feet sore, and it was painful for them to walk or run and the
feet can become easily infected. Also Eugene mentioned that the rain and malnutrition would

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cause him to develop sores on his hands and around his body which were called jungle sores or
jungle rot.
During World War 2, there was an increase in Anti-Japanese Semitism in the United
States. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the way that the Japanese soldiers fight their war, a
large portion of the American population began to despise the Japanese. As well the propaganda
that the U.S made during World War 2 which made the Japanese look like savages. Also the
Bataan Death March showed how inhuman the Japanese treated the American prisoners of war
which made the American public hate them even more. After the Pearl Harbor attack, a large
number of civilians joined the military to get revenge on the Japanese for what they did at Pearl
Harbor. During World War 2, the United States put around one hundred, twenty thousand
Japanese American citizens living in the west coasts in internment camps for fear that they can
become spies for the Japanese military. Usually the conditions in the camps were not good either
and the people living in the camps usually suffered but not to an extent. Eugene mentions that
some American marines had no sympathy or respect for the Japanese dead because they would
take war trophies home or send them home. Also they felt proud of having them because they
saw the Japanese as sub human, mainly because of how the Japanese would take their own life in
a kamikaze attack just to deal some damage to an American ship. As well, seeing how the
Japanese fought until the end and the strategies they used made the American troops have little to
zero care for them. Eugene states that some marines didnt even care for the POWs and didnt
care for the Geneva code and would shoot a Japanese POW. He said they despised the Japanese
when the marines would try to get the wounded out of battlefields just for their snipers to shoot
them down and kill them.

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Before the Pearl Harbor attacks, American favoritism for joining the war was low and
most Americans believed that it was a European problem. But once they were attacked a
majority of Americans now favored war with Japan. As a lot of men signed up to fight against
the Japanese, the government relied on the civilians at home to buy bonds and to help collect
scrap metal for war material. As well Propaganda played a huge role in the war and it made
people seem that if they dont do their part to help their country they were un American. Also
women had to take over the jobs of men in factories so it helped show that women were strong as
well and would help out their country at the time of need especially war. People were told to
grow their own small gardens and to not waste that many supplies so they can be sent to the
troops that are oversees so that they can use them. Eugene states that he signed up for the Marine
Corp to become an officer but decided to flunk out to become an enlisted marine because he
wanted to fight in the war against the Japanese. He didnt want the war to finish before he can
get to see combat in the Pacific Theater.

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Endnotes.
1. Eugene B. Sledge, With The Old Breed ( New York: Presidio Press, 2007)
2. The Pacific Wars forgotten battle
(http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_peleliu.html)
3. Battle of Okinawa
(http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-pacificwar.htm)
4. Japanese American Internment
(http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp)
5. Japanese Relocation
(http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation)/
6. Patriotism
(http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentation
s/homefront/gallery.html)