MacArthur's Bloody Butchers: Company G, 163rd Infantry Regiment, in the Pacific War

by Brian Bruce

An all-round account of the actions of Company G of the 163rd Infantry Regiment, 41st Division, U.S. Army, during World War II in the Pacific. The narrative follows the company from training in the Pacific Northwest, to Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and onto Japan. Each of the actions in which Company G participated is described at every level—divisional, regimental, battalion, company, and individual—to show how strategies and decisions made at the highest levels were experienced by individual soldiers.

At the heart of the book are the stories of some of the men of Company G, including Jack Anderson, who had been with the 163rd as a National Guardsman before the war and served through the occupation of Japan; Doyle Bruce, a draftee from Texas who joined the U.S. Army in the weeks before Pearl Harbor and served through Company G’s last combat mission; Bruce Baird, a draftee from Ogden, Utah whose injuries at Biak resulted in rotation home in 1945; and Hargis Westerfield, who joined Company G as a replacement after the unit’s first combat mission and survived to the end of the war. By combining their experiences with the elements of a more traditional military history the book provides a complete picture of one company's war.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1: Before Deployment, December 7, 1941–April 6, 1942
2: Australia, April 6–December 25, 1942
3: New Buna-Sanananda, December 25, 1942–February 1, 1943
4: The Kumusi River Patrol, February 1–14, 1943
5: Rest for Some, Combat for Others, February 15–July 14, 1943
6: Return to Australia, July 14,1943–March 23, 1944
7: Hollandia and Aitape, March 23–May 17, 1944
8: Wakde, May 17–26, 1944
9: Biak, May 27, 1944–February 27,1945
10: The Philippines, February 27–April 1, 1945
11: The Sulu Archipelago, April 21–July 4, 1945
12: The End of the War and the Occupation of Japan, July 4–October 30, 1945

Epilogue

Genres: World War II

224 pages, Hardcover

Published September 30, 2024

Reviews

[pennyg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a riveting account of some of the battles between the Americans and the Japanese during World War ll. Obviously well researched, its was exciting, tragic and poignant. Highlighting three soldiers and their and their fellow soldiers experiences as well as a fascinating look into the thoughts of one of the Japanese lieutenants through his diary. The author is a former history teacher and has a great eye for detail which he mixes with personal stories of many of the soldiers to great effect. I'm still thinking about Otis!

I will admit, I don't usually read about battles or a soldier's experience but I think as Americans we could all use an occasional reminder, war is hell. The suffering and sacrifice, mental and physical, made by those young men, some boys really, is unfathomable. And then to come home after battle and be expected to and in most cases do, lead a normal life. Anytime I hear disparaging remarks about young men and women of today, I think you fool, that young person is the only thing standing between you and the enemy, should we be at war

There were a few editing issues with the digital copy but it did not detract from the content. Highly recommend with a five star from me, even if you don't typically read about war you'll be captivated by the personal stories and if you do, you'll love the detail.

[Matt Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows, primarily, four men of the 41st Division through the war in the Pacific. All of the broader information about the war is available elsewhere but it treats these four men with seriousness and respect, along with the men they served beside. It very much personalizes the events without making any factual compromises.

It follows three of them from just before the outbreak of war to Australia and then into the the fight with the Japanese. They are joined by the fourth man, Hargis Westerfield, during one of the earlier campaigns and it follows the battles of the 163rd through the Philippines and into Japan after the end of the war. In addition to being at war, many of them battled tropical disease, and at different times, hunger. Sometimes they were so deep in the jungle their clothes rotted while they wore them. There's no dishonesty about how the Japanese and Americans treated each other during the war, often taking no prisoners.