Into The Abyss
"Into the Abyss" was the working title for E.B. Sledge's memoir "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" (1981) which chronicle the author's fighting experience as a private in the Marines during WW II, The son of an Alabama physician and a college dean of women students, Sledge served as an enlisted man with Company K, 3d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division during the Peleliu Campaign of September 1944 and the Okinawa Campaign from April -- June, 1945. He acquired the nickname Sledgehammer. Sledge took notes of his experiences during his service and ultimately worked his notes into this book. The book was used as source material for a Ken Burns documentary on WW II, and for an HBO miniseries on the War in the Pacific. Following his return to civilian life, Sledge (1923 -- 2001) became a professor of biology. His memoir has gone through several editions, and I have read it in a Library of America volume World War II Memoirs: the Pacific Theater" (2021) edited by Elizabeth Samet. I was interested in Sledge's book because I had the good fortune to visit Palau, (but not Peleliu) and other Pacific Islands during my career. My knowledge of the Peleliu Campaign and of the War in the Pacific, alas, is minimal. I would have benefited from a broader knowledge during my working life.
"Sledgehamer" Sledge writes simply and clearly and with emotion. In the Preface, he writes that his memoir "is not a history and it is not my story alone. I have attempted, rather, to be the spokesman for my comrades who were swept with me into the abyss of war. I hope they will approve my efforts."
Thus, Sledge's account focuses on his own experiences in the War rather than on a larger strategical or tactical account. He describes his own activities and feelings and his relationship to his fellow marines and officers and his encounters with the enemy. It is not a pretty story as Sledge describes the brutality of combat on both Peleliu and Okinawa, the heat, the mud and rain, and the terrible loss of life both for the Americans and for the Japanese whose forces were annihilated on both islands. Sledge shows the reader the topography of the islands and how it contributed to the severity of the fighting. Sledge includes supplemental material, printed in italics, from published sources giving context to his individual account. The book also includes a large section of photographs. The tone of the book is bleak but it emphasizes Sledge's love for his comrades and his patriotism for the United States.
Part I of the memoir "Peleliu: A Neglected Battle" tells Sledgehammer's story from basic training through D-day on Peleliu through the conclusion of the campaign. Part II. "Okinawa: The Final Triumph" begins with a period of rest following Peleliu and continues through Sledge's experiences and travails on the southern part of Okinawa with the ultimate destruction of the large Japanese force and the loss of many American lives. Following Okinawa, the United States made the decision to use atomic bombs on Japan rather than to engage in a costly land invasion, a decision that remains controversial.
Sledge concludes his memoir with a discussion of the both the brutality of the war and of his love for his comrades and for America which is worth quoting in full. He writes
"War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste. Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are forced to endure it. The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. Marine Corps training taught us to kill efficiently and to try to survive. But it also taught us loyalty to each other -- and love. That esprit de corps sustained us. "
"Until the millennium arrives and countries cease trying to enslave others, it will be necessary to accept one's responsibilities and to be willing to make sacrifices for one's country -- as my comrades did. As the troops used to say, 'If the country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for.' With privilege goes responsibility."
I was moved by Sledgehammer's Sledge's story in "With the Old Breed". I learned something about the War in the Pacific. More importantly, I was reminded about the nature of comradeship and about the precious, frail character of the American experiment.
Robin Friedman
