ISLANDS OF DEATH ISLANDS OF VICTORY
by
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Pass the word along, everyone alert. Hold your fire; don't reveal your position. Wait until they are in close. My God! Ted could hear them jabbering and walking. How much closer could they get without moving into his foxhole with him? Somebody was going to get hurt. Ted heard a soft thud, thud, thud, and buried himself in the sand. Almost simultaneous with the thuds, the grenades began to explode all around. The ground shook and dirt flies, the Japs screamed, and made a wild charge. The smell of powder, and of death, was all around. Pull the pin; hurl a grenade with all your strength. Those shadows that were creeping are no longer creeping; they were running, darting, and falling. Start squeezing that trigger, or this is it. It seems all sound stops when you start squeezing the trigger. Grab another clip, shove it home, and squeeze some more. Over and over, then all at once there is nothing before him. They had vanished as suddenly as they appeared. Some are lying around on the ground, some have retreated, and a few have made it through the lines, for Ted could hear the scattered firing picking up behind him. A corporal, or a sergeant, came strolling along. Checking on who needed help, and who was beyond help. It was amazing how those squad leaders had the nerve, and the knack, for checking on "their people." Forever, and always, you are, "their people," and they will never forsake, or abandon you. In combat there was a greater percentage of Corporals, Sergeants, and Lieutenants killed than any other rank. They were sending for more boxes of grenades, and for more cases of ammo clips. This night had only begun and was far from over yet. The ---- (stuff) will hit the fan, many, many, more times before this night ends. All up and down the lines Ted could hear similar firefights, and knew all too well what was happening. First from one direction, and shortly from another, the charges were wild and vicious, but sporadic. If they had of made a coordinated push on all sectors at once it was certain they could have rolled up the Marines lines. All night long the battles raged, sometimes at Ted, sometimes to one side or the other. Occasionally, only in some other companies’ perimeter, but always, there was the sound of death, moving up and down the lines, on both sides. Just before dawn, it seemed the Japs had finally mounted that coordinated attack against the ever-thinner Marine lines. From all directions came the boom, boom, of artillery and the swish, swish, swish, of mortars and the splash of grenades, and the never ceasing cracking of machine gun and small arms fire. They seemed to literally come up out of the ground. One second there was nothing, the next they were almost in Ted's hole. Grenades, grenades, grenades, would they never stop? There was absolutely no time to be scared, to run, (for where would you go) to do anything, except the thing you were trained to do. Grab a clip, slam it home, jerk a shell into the chamber, and start squeezing the trigger. Hurl a grenade, and squeeze some more. Pray without ceasing.
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About the Book
ISLANDS OF DEATH – Islands of Victory
The invasion of Peleliu, one of the most viscous battles in the pacific, is Ted’s introduction to the realities of war. He faces mortar and machine-gun fire wading in blood red waters as he advances toward the slaughter on the beach. Falling behind a burning amtrac he feels a moment of complete safety. How did he come to be in this abominable place? His mind flashes back to the beginning of the conflict.
A small-town country boy, Ted was afraid the war would end before he could become a part of the great adventure. Life in the training camps is portrayed. Shipping out, seasickness and the miserable conditions aboard the troop transports follow.
Arriving in New Caledonia, the Marines are awed by the native villages and the exotic atmosphere of Noumea, the capitol. Waiting for action, idle hands seek excitement in many ways: fistfights, climbing coconut trees, and trysts with young native girls.
Leaving New Caledonia the replacement troops make port in Brisbane, Australia to a rousing welcome. "There will be no liberty granted," the P.A. blares. "Fill a combat pack and stow your gear in the warehouse," it orders amid moans and groans. Against orders, Ted and Salty Schissler decide to visit Brisbane. Chased by MP’s, they are befriended by two lovely Australian girls who know how to send young men off to war.
Departing Australia, the atmosphere changes. Even the ocean seems angry. In New Guinea they see real live natives wearing bones in their noses and ears and carrying spears in their hands.
Boarding assault crafts, the troops proceed up New Guinea’s coast and in New Britain, finally catch up with the war. Within minutes Ted finds out that in war people really do get killed. The deep, dark, wet, frightening jungle is beyond imagination. The huge falling trees, typhus fever and other jungle diseases kill many Marines.
Expecting to go back to Australia, they are put ashore on Pavuvu, Russel Islands; a tiny, wet, stinking, hellhole occupied by rats and land crabs, where they are expected to make a rest camp.
Next it is on to Peleliu. The Japanese extract a terrible toll for every foot of ground gained. The heat from the white coral wreaks havoc on the Marines. Most would sell their souls for one sip of ice water. Day and night, death stalks every step. The cemetery is fast overflowing.
Ted and five Marines are ordered to help a decimated squad on a ledge of "Bloody Nose Ridge." The Nippon trail down is saturated by gunfire and their only hope is to roll the wounded over the 150-foot-high ledge. Ted is rendered unconscious by a mortar round as he leaps from the precipice. Coming to, he is tempted by the smell of something cooking. But it’s not food----it is human flesh cooked by flamethrowers.
The toll of dead or wounded is tremendous. Virtually every person leaves Peleliu with a physical or mental wound---wounds that don’t show.
Rumors fly that the Division is going back to Australia, the land of milk, food and girls. Again, it is not to be, and back to Pavuvu the survivors of Peleliu go. There is joy and there is disappointment in mail calls. Recurring attacks of the devastating malarial fever lay many low. The physical and emotional pain takes it’s toll. For some Marines, suicide seems the only release from this "Living Hell."
A new commander, fresh troops and new gear mark the preparations for the Okinawa campaign. Close order drills and the rifle range dispel lethargy.
At Ulithi Attol they join what appears to be the most powerful armada ever assembled. Although he doesn’t know his destination (only Tokyo Rose knows that), Ted’s ship joins a convoy headed for Okinawa. The armada experiences the devastating winds, rain and waves of a great typhoon. How many will survive to see land again?
To bolster the troops moral, the designation for the landing date is changed from D (Dying) day, to L (Love) day, but everyone still thinks it will be Dying day.
The Japanese extract a fearful toll in the southern sector of Okinawa, and the "Kamikaze" suicide planes wreak devastation on the Navy ships. Ted is dispatched south to help identify the dead.
Ordered to withdraw (never say retreat) from "death valley," Ted drags a wounded buddy but has to abandon a blinded youth who wails "MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!" But from the looks of him he will never hear his mama answer.
Later, Ted and four other Marines are assigned to a forward guard post. Overrun by Japs, all four of the Marines are killed or tortured; their bodies consumed by maggots. Ted endures two days and nights alone in the heat with no food or water. On the third night a Jap slides into his hole and his bayonet nicks Ted’s chest. With the only weapon Ted has left, his daddy’s knife, he confronts the enemy. Ted is overwhelmed by fear and exhaustion.
Ted runs and runs, then surrenders to his exhaustion and falls by a stream to die. A young Okinawan girl, KIM LI, who has been driven insane by the rigors of war, rescues him. She cradles his head on her naked breasts and trickles water on his parched lips as he screams. "The Dark Evil Thing" tries to possess their souls, and "The Night Winds" compel her to flee to the forests each evening. He try's to tame her but his efforts are futile. Determined to protect KIM-LI, Ted must return to the battlefield to find a weapon with which to defend her. Their life and death struggle to survive ensues. Can they both survive?
.A squad of Marines rescue Ted and nurse his body back to life but leave an empty soul.
Ted takes the long journey home but the prospect of returning to his beloved family puts burning tears in his eyes. Before leaving the states a young lady had whispered in Ted’s ear, "Come Back A Hero."
But is he a hero?------or did the REAL heroes not come home.
About the Author
ISLANDS OF DEATH – ISLANDS OF VICTORY
John is a 76 year-old World War II veteran, who spent four years in the United States Navy (two and a half of them with the Marines).
He was attached to the 1st Marine Division as a Navy Hospital Corpsman and saw action with the Marine’s while fighting the Japanese on New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu and Okinawa.
His novel is based primarily on personal knowledge, recollection and experience. As far as he knows, it is the only work that gives the story of troops "in" and "out" of action. It deals mostly with seventeen and eighteen-year-olds who thought war would be a "great adventure". Instead, the war turned out to be a "never-ending nightmare" -- a struggle for survival.
The tenacious Japanese took a tremendous toll; but; so did the incessant rain, mud, sweltering heat, and jungle diseases (such as typhus fever, malaria, dysentery and jungle rot.)
There was elation and there was boredom as the emaciated, exhausted men recovered from combat and prepared for the next invasion. Mail call, sick call, rats and land crabs all played a major roll in the daily life of troops.
John, like most veterans, feels frustration when trying to tell younger generations of his desperate battle plights in parts of the world they never heard of. It seems absolutely no one, who was not directly involved, has any knowledge of, or knows the names of the islands invaded in the South Pacific during World War II. Mention an island, and their first question is, "Where is that?" Not one history book gives a hint of the fierce battles fought and the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the Pacific war with the Japanese.
Being only seventeen when he volunteered for service, John’s formal education was put on hold. His high school education was garnered at Santa Paula Union High, Santa Paula, California. After the war, he attended Ventura College, in Ventura, California. However, most of his knowledge came from the "University of Hard Knocks!" Growing up during the depression years, John, (like many others) accepted whatever fate brought his way.
Mr. Bailey, along with his wife Naomi, owned and managed their own business for many years in Ventura. They were able to retire earlier than most. He has spent a great deal of time and effort completing his book:
ISLANDS OF DEATH – ISLANDS OF VICTORY.
It is with mixed emotions, after almost fifty-five years in the making, his manuscript has been published.
John and Naomi travel widely but most of all, they enjoy camping, fishing, hiking and skiing with their family. They have four children, (two daughters and two sons) four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
He has always had a passion for writing, and, as a youth, he would dream complete "western novels" while sleeping. Although this is his first full-length novel, John has written extensively in several genres, and is a long-time member of the Ventura County Writers Club.
The author was compelled to complete his work--desiring to leave a written account of his life during World War II for his family, fellow veterans and future generations.
Message from the author: "I sincerely hope this narrative will give readers a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the men and women who fought and served in the South Pacific during World War II. It is a book about real people, life and love - - not just a factual account of military statistics and battles."
Semper Fi Until I Die!!!