The personal turmoil of a soldier fighting at the battlefronts during the Second World War of between 1939 and 1945 is evident in With the Old Breed by Eugene B. Sledge. In the book, Sledge describes his experiences as a United States Marine. Accordingly, while serving on a mortar faction, Sledge was part of the “Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, [and] 1st Marine Division” during the New Britain campaigns in Peleliu and Okinawa. In that sense, the first person account allows readers to delve into the realities of World War II through the confrontations between Allied forces and the Japanese soldiers in the “Pacific ground theater.” Now, Sledge does not fail to point out the hatred that each group harbored towards the other. To that end, after reading the text, one quickly realizes that Sledge’s views of the Japanese are subject to his experiences and perceptions during the war.
First, the author shows his observations of the Japanese held intense hatred towards the opposing army by documenting them as “fanatical [enemies].” Apparently, in the battlefields, Japan’s military had no qualms with eradicating their enemy, and all methods were applicable as long as they got the job done. For instance, Japanese soldiers would play dead to make the Allied men lower their guard before “throwing a grenade”; evidently, such schemes killed more soldiers only because they managed to catch their target unawares. For the given reasons, the Japanese were a brutal and an untrustworthy lot that gave Sledge no hesitations in agreeing with the other Marines on the need to kill every encountered enemy as they were all the same. Nonetheless, the horrors of war probably made the antics a necessity, and as one continues to read the narrative, it becomes apparent that the Allies were no different regarding brutality.
Apparently, American troops conducted missions outside what their duties entailed when combating the Japanese. In other words, confrontations did not mean armed combat alone. On the contrary, Sledge recalls the “methodical manner” in which the United States forces resorted to stripping the bodies of dead enemy soldiers in the name of collecting souvenirs. Notably, the assertion on the practices being methodical” highlights the fact that the men were detached when carrying out the actions. In fact, the intense hatred against the Japanese made it possible for the Americans to dehumanize them and retaliate to the atrocities mentioned above with equal, and sometimes extra, measure. For example, in a particular incident, a Marine ruthlessly pulls out the gold teeth of a Japanese soldier without showing any emotion, yet his victim was alive and thrashing in pain. Such was the level of brutality between the opposing groups. Naturally, just as the Marines hated the Japanese, so did Sledge; otherwise, he would have had to interfere with and help the enemy when they were at war.
In conclusion, the author’s views of the Japanese were essential in his duties as a soldier serving in the Allied side of the Second World War. Subsequently, his belief that he and the rest of the American forces fought for the right side is evident where he asserts that the warring men “did their duty so a sheltered homeland can enjoy the peace” that the Central Powers threatened. With the given facts in mind, the mentioned views did not make him and the rest of the Marines the villains in the battles. Instead, they did the exact opposite by allowing them to take a stand against a threat and defend their homes.
Bibliography
Sledge, Eugene B. With the Old Breed: The World War Two Pacific Classic. London : Ebury Press , 2011.
