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Last Man Standing: The 1st Marine Regiment on Peleliu, September 15-21, 1944
One of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, Operation Stalemate, as Peleliu was called, was overshadowed by the Normandy landings. It was also, in time, judged by most historians to have been unnecessary; though it had been conceived to protect MacArthur’s flank in the Philippines, the U.S. fleet’s carrier raids had eliminated Japanese airpower, rendering Peleliu irrelevant. Nevertheless, the horrifying number of casualties sustained there (71% in one battalion) foreshadowed for the rest of the rather than fight to the death on the beach, the Japanese would now defend in depth and bleed the Americans white. Drawing extensively on personal interviews, the Marine Corps History Division’s vast oral history and photographic collection, and many never-before-published sources, this book gives us a new and harrowing vision of what really happened at Peleliu--and what it meant. Working closely with two of the 1st Regiment’s battalion commanders--Ray Davis and Russ Honsowetz--Marine Corps veteran and military historian Dick Camp recreates the battle as it was experienced by the men and their officers. Soldiers who survived the terrible slaughter recall the brutality of combat against an implacable foe; they describe the legendary “Chesty” Puller, leading his decimated regiment against enemy fortifications; they tell of Davis, wounded but refusing evacuation while his men were under fire; and of a division commander who rejects Army reinforcements. Most of all, their richly detailed, deeply moving story is one of desperate combat in the face of almost certain failure, of valor among comrades joined against impossible odds.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2008
21 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
R.D. Camp
20 books11 followersColonel Richard D. "Dick" Camp Jr., a Purple Heart recipient, served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 1988. Upon retirement he served as the Deputy Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division (he was Acting Director for most of 2006) and as the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Vice President for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. Currently residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he is the author of ten books and over 100 magazine articles on various military related subjects.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 6, 2018
A good read on the carnage that was the first five days on Peleiu for the 1st Marine Regiment. One has to question the point the exercise and Brig. Gen. O P Smith said as much in an interview with Associated Press years after the battle. Why not just take the airfield as had already happened when one third of the island was captured, hence assisting MacArthur in his operations in the Philippines and leave the enemy to the highlands and just bomb them from offshore? The author is critical of both Maj. Gen. William Rupertus and Col. Lewis Puller for the appalling casualty rate.
For those such as myself who have certain demands on how our history reading is presented I would have liked the author to have used footnotes. There are a few too many anonymous quotes for my liking. The publishers put some at times pointless fact boxes that would have been better served as appendix. The pictures throughout were far too difficult to see in any detail as they were printed on the text uncoated stock and many lost detail. A 16 page section on coated stock in the middle of the book would have assisted greatly. The captioning of some pictures was also pointless.
The bibliography is outstanding and a veritable treasure trove for anyone who wants to read further.
Recommended to anyone that has an interest in the subject.
For those such as myself who have certain demands on how our history reading is presented I would have liked the author to have used footnotes. There are a few too many anonymous quotes for my liking. The publishers put some at times pointless fact boxes that would have been better served as appendix. The pictures throughout were far too difficult to see in any detail as they were printed on the text uncoated stock and many lost detail. A 16 page section on coated stock in the middle of the book would have assisted greatly. The captioning of some pictures was also pointless.
The bibliography is outstanding and a veritable treasure trove for anyone who wants to read further.
Recommended to anyone that has an interest in the subject.
August 29, 2010
In Last Man Standing, retired Marine Colonel Dick Camp has melded his own personal interviews, with material from the Marine Corps archives to tell the story of the First Marine Regiment on Peleliu, one of WWII's bloodiest battles. One of the Regiment's main objectives was a series of ridges dominated by Japanese machine-gun emplacements, known as Bloody-Nose Ridge. The Regiment's commander, the legendary Col. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller repeatedly ordered them to take the heights in what basically amounted to a suicide mission, and wouldn't relent, even when told by his subordinates that it was impossible, as a result the unit was decimated. Camp's visceral writing style really makes the reader feel the helplessness these men must have felt. This book is lavishly illustrated with photographs which will give you a rifleman's eye-view of the fighting, when you combine this with Camp's harrowing combat narrative, there's no doubt that Last Man Standing will take it's place alongside the best books on the battle.
November 14, 2012
Not knowing my grandfather, REIBLICH, Ralph D. - PFC - C Co. Third Armored Amphibian Bn. - Now deceased, and not being able to hear about his account at Peleliu, this book has made it all clear. A well written account to the hell that was endured by the 1st Marine Regiment. Thank you Dick Camp.
August 29, 2023
I listened to the audiobook of this work, and found it to be repetitive. An example--One account of the bombing of a Japanese bunker on Pelelieu was repeated twice, each account being perfectly identical. It was a very redundant piece of writing.
The chronology of the work was skewed, jumping back and forth in time and leaving me confused of when certain events happened. Understand this is the fourth or fifth book that I've engaged and I'm familiar with the battle, so I can't imagine how difficult it is is for an uninformed reader to grasp.
But that aside, it has some of the most heartbreaking and graphic first person accounts I've encountered in reading about Peleliu. The 1st Marine Division suffered greatly in this battle, and all of it was needless. The Naval gunfire was inadequate; there was a horrendous logistical foul up with water provision; Chesty Puller, the legendary leader of the Regiment, had apparently been promoted beyond his tactical competence; and the Division commander was an inept martinet. On top of all that, the invasion wasn't necessary in the first place, and nobody responsible for its inception had the common sense to pull the plug and stop it from happening.
The chronology of the work was skewed, jumping back and forth in time and leaving me confused of when certain events happened. Understand this is the fourth or fifth book that I've engaged and I'm familiar with the battle, so I can't imagine how difficult it is is for an uninformed reader to grasp.
But that aside, it has some of the most heartbreaking and graphic first person accounts I've encountered in reading about Peleliu. The 1st Marine Division suffered greatly in this battle, and all of it was needless. The Naval gunfire was inadequate; there was a horrendous logistical foul up with water provision; Chesty Puller, the legendary leader of the Regiment, had apparently been promoted beyond his tactical competence; and the Division commander was an inept martinet. On top of all that, the invasion wasn't necessary in the first place, and nobody responsible for its inception had the common sense to pull the plug and stop it from happening.
December 6, 2019
A 5 star read if you are a military history junkie. If you are not, don't bother starting.
Peleliu was arguably the battle that didn't need to be fought. Presumably the intention was to protect MacArthur's eastern flank during his invasion of the Philippines, but in hindsight, it probably was not necessary. There is not much argument that it was poorly planned and incompetently executed. As usual, the troopies paid the ultimate price. The bloodshed on both sides was immense. I have read several accounts of the battle, but this is the first account that concentrated solely on the 1st Marine Regiment. The regiment lost over 1,200 men killed in 6 days of fighting. An additional 5,000 were wounded.
Peleliu was arguably the battle that didn't need to be fought. Presumably the intention was to protect MacArthur's eastern flank during his invasion of the Philippines, but in hindsight, it probably was not necessary. There is not much argument that it was poorly planned and incompetently executed. As usual, the troopies paid the ultimate price. The bloodshed on both sides was immense. I have read several accounts of the battle, but this is the first account that concentrated solely on the 1st Marine Regiment. The regiment lost over 1,200 men killed in 6 days of fighting. An additional 5,000 were wounded.
April 29, 2020
Well researched and informative. Gives a clear picture of the obstacles thrown up by the Japanese 2nd Regiment that had to be overcome by the men of the 1st Marine Division. Focusing on the 1st Marine Regiment the author goes to great links showing the 1st Marines under the command of Col Chesty Puller going from a crack unit of 3000 Marines to a broken shell of its former self with over 1600 dead, wounded and missing in the span of a week. While the U.S. Marines of the 1st Division and the Army's 81st Division won the battle it was the most costly battle of the War in the Pacific.
September 26, 2018
My grandfather was part of the this unit in the first wave. When his company was pulled from the line, he was one of nine men who walked out. Everyone else was killed or evacuated as wounded. He only ever spoke of the battle once and now I know why.
September 27, 2012
Shining Example of Why Marines Represent “The Few, The Proud” …
While the Marine Corps have existed for well over 200 years, this unique combat arm defined its glorious legacy over a four year period, 1942-1945. Between the miserable jungle-affair of Guadalcanal and iconic, glorified sacrifice at Iwo Jima falls the particularly brutal battle for the coral-encrusted island of Peleliu. In LAST MAN STANDING, Dick Camp recounts how this bitter (and unnecessary) operation almost wiped out the First Marine Regiment.
With the lessons of Tarawa still not learned; the decision to take Peleliu and its airfield from the grip of a sizeable, capable and dug-in Japanese Army was a risk in-and-of itself. Securing the island was designated as a means of shoring up the eastern flank of MacArthur’s operation to liberate the Philippines and serve as a jumping board for any future invasion of Japan … the overall strategic value of Peleliu was arguably negligible for the Americans. The Japanese, on the other hand, considered the island to be defensively strategic, expected an American invasion and masterfully prepared a defensive strategy designed to grind and bleed the attackers. If an American victory was inevitable, it was assured to be a pyrrhic victory.
Camp does a great job in thoroughly prepping readers for the eventual clash of arms by providing an educational background of all aspects associated with the battle. Starting with the controversial and political decision to take Peleliu, we are given ample information as to how both the Americans and Japanese prepared for the oncoming battle. The book is riddled throughout with sidebars that enhance the reader’s knowledge about a specific issue, weapon or individual ... I found this to be quite helpful (most of the time). We are also introduced to the regimental commanders that were responsible for achieving success. These leaders, most notably “Chesty” Puller, are not deified by Camp, but presented as capable, yet flawed men. The buildup to the actual battle comprises almost two-thirds of the book, which somewhat bothered me, until I finished the book and realized the value those two-thirds gave the rest of the book. That remaining one-third fittingly represents the First Marine Regiment’s bloody clash with the determined Japanese defenders … it is fast, furious and full of combat. Readers will quickly realize that the stubborn Japanese defense became problematic for the Marines and an errantly assumed quick American victory was suddenly turning into a war of attrition, at the expense of many lives. There are numerous first-hand battle accounts, as well as a detailing of Marine heroics under dire circumstances (I lost count of the Navy Crosses being awarded). From the fear or night-time attacks to the inability to find effective cover on the jagged coral ground surface … Marines found themselves fighting an unexpected battle in hellish conditions against a well-trained, fanatical opponent. Camp brings to light the bull-headed incompetence of Marine Maj. General Rupertus (who was certain the operation would be a three-day rout and refused relief from an Army Division) and Puller (who appeared to have no qualm in unnecessarily sacrificing his men). The book reads at a fast pace, but the detailing of the battle slows things down quite a bit as I found myself re-reading accounts to get a more vivid image of events. The abundance of pictures throughout the book crystallizes the misery illustrated by the text … very effective.
I feel LAST MAN STANDING offers a unique perspective of a battle that is arguably as brutal as Iwo Jima, but lesser known. The casualties incurred by the Marines were horrendous (by American standards, but nothing compared to the toll on the Japanese). Camp sticks his neck out a little by portraying a recipient of five Navy Crosses (Puller) as less-than-heroic, but gets support from Medal of Honor recipient Everett Pope, who slams Puller for wasting so many Marine lives on Peleliu. In addition to LAST MAN STANDING, I would suggest reading E. Sledges “With the Old Breed” and viewing HBO’s “The Pacific” to get a vivid and complete picture of how horrible this particular battle was.
While the Marine Corps have existed for well over 200 years, this unique combat arm defined its glorious legacy over a four year period, 1942-1945. Between the miserable jungle-affair of Guadalcanal and iconic, glorified sacrifice at Iwo Jima falls the particularly brutal battle for the coral-encrusted island of Peleliu. In LAST MAN STANDING, Dick Camp recounts how this bitter (and unnecessary) operation almost wiped out the First Marine Regiment.
With the lessons of Tarawa still not learned; the decision to take Peleliu and its airfield from the grip of a sizeable, capable and dug-in Japanese Army was a risk in-and-of itself. Securing the island was designated as a means of shoring up the eastern flank of MacArthur’s operation to liberate the Philippines and serve as a jumping board for any future invasion of Japan … the overall strategic value of Peleliu was arguably negligible for the Americans. The Japanese, on the other hand, considered the island to be defensively strategic, expected an American invasion and masterfully prepared a defensive strategy designed to grind and bleed the attackers. If an American victory was inevitable, it was assured to be a pyrrhic victory.
Camp does a great job in thoroughly prepping readers for the eventual clash of arms by providing an educational background of all aspects associated with the battle. Starting with the controversial and political decision to take Peleliu, we are given ample information as to how both the Americans and Japanese prepared for the oncoming battle. The book is riddled throughout with sidebars that enhance the reader’s knowledge about a specific issue, weapon or individual ... I found this to be quite helpful (most of the time). We are also introduced to the regimental commanders that were responsible for achieving success. These leaders, most notably “Chesty” Puller, are not deified by Camp, but presented as capable, yet flawed men. The buildup to the actual battle comprises almost two-thirds of the book, which somewhat bothered me, until I finished the book and realized the value those two-thirds gave the rest of the book. That remaining one-third fittingly represents the First Marine Regiment’s bloody clash with the determined Japanese defenders … it is fast, furious and full of combat. Readers will quickly realize that the stubborn Japanese defense became problematic for the Marines and an errantly assumed quick American victory was suddenly turning into a war of attrition, at the expense of many lives. There are numerous first-hand battle accounts, as well as a detailing of Marine heroics under dire circumstances (I lost count of the Navy Crosses being awarded). From the fear or night-time attacks to the inability to find effective cover on the jagged coral ground surface … Marines found themselves fighting an unexpected battle in hellish conditions against a well-trained, fanatical opponent. Camp brings to light the bull-headed incompetence of Marine Maj. General Rupertus (who was certain the operation would be a three-day rout and refused relief from an Army Division) and Puller (who appeared to have no qualm in unnecessarily sacrificing his men). The book reads at a fast pace, but the detailing of the battle slows things down quite a bit as I found myself re-reading accounts to get a more vivid image of events. The abundance of pictures throughout the book crystallizes the misery illustrated by the text … very effective.
I feel LAST MAN STANDING offers a unique perspective of a battle that is arguably as brutal as Iwo Jima, but lesser known. The casualties incurred by the Marines were horrendous (by American standards, but nothing compared to the toll on the Japanese). Camp sticks his neck out a little by portraying a recipient of five Navy Crosses (Puller) as less-than-heroic, but gets support from Medal of Honor recipient Everett Pope, who slams Puller for wasting so many Marine lives on Peleliu. In addition to LAST MAN STANDING, I would suggest reading E. Sledges “With the Old Breed” and viewing HBO’s “The Pacific” to get a vivid and complete picture of how horrible this particular battle was.
March 2, 2017
Failure at Peleliu
Very interesting to see how pride can lead our heroes to make decisions that lead to so many deaths for a reason to this day remains controversial. Kind of a long read with a lot of details. Very difficult to imagine the struggle unless you are fortunate to physically see the terrain.
Very interesting to see how pride can lead our heroes to make decisions that lead to so many deaths for a reason to this day remains controversial. Kind of a long read with a lot of details. Very difficult to imagine the struggle unless you are fortunate to physically see the terrain.
November 20, 2012
Great operational history of one of the most little known and bloodiest battles in the Pacific Campaign. Camp, a former employee at the Marines Corps Heritage Foundation, does a great job of profiling the preparation for the battle, the personalities behind it, and the first week on the island, which proved to be costly because of a new Japanese way of war (based on attrition in the mountains rather than meeting the USMC on the beach). In the end, the experience was hell for every soldier involved.
FYI: A lot of this book is covered in HBO's The Pacific, Episodes 4, 5, and 6. I would definitely watch these specific episodes before or after reading this book.
FYI: A lot of this book is covered in HBO's The Pacific, Episodes 4, 5, and 6. I would definitely watch these specific episodes before or after reading this book.
March 9, 2013
A very gritty, horrific account of one regiment's experiences on Peleliu island in World War II. The photos don't pull any punches, with some of them featuring Japanese and American corpses, the results of the seemingly misguided (and almost totally unnecessary) assault on the island. Camp tells the tale in a matter of fact fashion that makes for quick reading.
January 14, 2022
A well written book on the Battle of Peleliu. It does not add anything to the existing body of literature which would lead the reader to believe that the battle was anything other than a world class Charlie Foxtrot. The reader, P. J. Ochlan, is quite good at his job.
May 19, 2023
It's heartbreaking and eye opening to learn of what the soldiers went through!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews