The Old Breed, K Company and Eugene Sledge 

I’m British and far as Eugene B Sledge is concerned he is an absolute hero. I have both his books and because of him, he brings my grandfather closer to me than anyone ever could. Everyone has that “you have six people you can invite for dinner “ Eugene is second on my list . Xx

I've got his footlocker from Korea. I haven't looked into it in a number of years. He was in George company I believe with the 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He joined in July 1946. When I open this footlocker again I'm going to have a Six pack of beer. He died in 2013. I was the only one around before he died. I made sure he was buried in his dress blues! Once a Marine ... Always a Marine! Semper Fi daddy! I miss and love you to this day!

I was with k co 3/5 in Vietnam m60

It’s almost TOO difficult to describe the respect I feel for men such as Dr Sledge, his Marine buddies, and all of the men (& women) who answered the call of their country in the days of WW II. ‘Off-Scale High’ might be the best I can muster. Just as much as I’m left nearly speechless by the fortitude they showed in battle, I feel almost as impressed by the way these men came home after the war & immediately tried to get on with their lives. Hardly if EVER even mentioning their experiences, except when each other’s company. It’s a silence I almost cannot imagine being kept today, and it simply must have tormented them at times. We never want our Marines, Sailors, Airmen or Soldiers to suffer, and we especially don’t want them to ever have to suffer alone. It’s a different world today obviously, and we approach the psychological trauma of war in a far different way than in the aftermath of WW II. Largely BECAUSE of how we now know about the issues our WW II veterans faced. To all my fellow combat veterans, and not only those who saw combat but all our veterans, firstly I say ‘thank you’, and secondly I’d like to ask you to reach out when you’re having a difficult time. To all those out there in the ‘circles’ of our combat veterans, I’d like to ask you to reach out to your friends & families who served. It’s often simply an ear that’s needed for a bit. Our WW II ‘Greatest Generation’ has largely left us for what lies beyond. We should make it OUR mission to celebrate the service and the lives of those veterans that we still have among us. They truly were the greatest generation, and we most likely will never see the likes of them again.

Dr. Eugene “Sledgehammer” Sledges “With the Old Breed” is one of the best books I’ve ever read along with “Helmet for my Pillow” written by Robert Leckie. Both great first hand accounts of what it was like to be on the frontlines of major pacific battles.

Super proud of Henry.

These presentations would have been much improved by finding a way to display the slides.

“Possibly, I lost faith that politicians in high places, who do not have to endure war’s savagery, will ever stop blundering in sending others to endure it.” 60yrs later, in my war, I learned the exact same thing. The war machine will always turn, politicians will continue to get rich from the death of others, and the military industrial complex will be the undoing of the world. S/F

Former Marine, read the old breed. I was infantry in Vietnam. The old breed was on the commandants books to read. Great book. Semper fi Eugnee

Thank you Rich Frank for the counterpoints towards John Dower's book.

Slides please.

Outstanding discussion, thank you.

Wonderful discussion. Dr. Frank is exactly correct. Far too often the barbarity of the Pacific ar is presented as the result of racism for which Americand Japan were both responsible. War in any circumstance is brutal. But the barbarity of the Pacific War is the work of the Japanese. They made it clear how they were going to fight the War, and they set the terms. And brutality was answered with brutality. As he points out if racism is what dominated American thinking--why was it suddenly switched off for the occupation.

Thanks for the video

Great video.

Very true about West Virginia making good fighters. Also western Virginia from the James River to the West Virginia and Tennessee borders. Bedford Co. VA had more servicemen as a percentage of population than any county in the United States. There is a memorial built in Bedford honoring all servicemen from WW2.

Gratitude

Eugene Sledge, RV Burgin and others have given us a glimpse at of our Marines thrown into hell and coming out the other side side.

My daddy was a Marine in Korea. He's named after his uncle Tom that was a Marine in WW1. They were "devil dogs".

Great 👍🏽

As informative as this talk was, I think we, the online audience, would have benefitted from seeing the graphics that were being shown to the attendees that day. And yes, I had previously read Mr. Sledges books on the subject.

Dad was in the 1st Marine division 7th Marines.

Wonder graphics, maps, photos! Too bad you couldn’t share them with US! THUMB DOWN.

As I woke up this morning I was dreaming of a man who wanted to talk to me He leaned down and said" If we go to war" and I woke up I thought what was that about and why was I being told that and wondered who the man was as I opened my laptop there was the picture of the man.E Sledge.the message I guess is for his son to know he is ok.

i beg to differ on what you call middle class i have never seen middle class have a butler and a cook.

Psh, you should interview a real hero. I’m a war hero and have the best story never told to the public. It’s time to get it off my chest.

If you haven't noticed marines America is finished not much time left find Jesus

This book made me really sad.