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Once a Marine
Original/First (1964) Edition, Signed by Gen. Vandegrift with a endearing note to current owner of the book, and two Polaroid snapshots of Gen. Vandegrift. Original (green) dust jacket. Book is old and shows the "aging effects of time" - but it has not been roughly handled and is in sound condition, with undamaged boards, spine and binding. A wonderful signed collectible with a unique personal touch. Detailed photographs are available upon request.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 26, 2016
The memoirs of General A. A. Vandegrift USMC as told to Robert B. Asprey are a superb piece of history. Raised in Charlottesville, VA Vandegrift wished to enter West Point Military Academy, passing the mental exam, yet for some reason he did not qualify on the physical exam. After two years at the University of Virginia he secured a nomination from his U.S. senator to take the Marine Corps military exam and upon passing all aspects he became an officer on 1/21/1909. For roughly the next 40 years the family man would dedicate his life to the Marine Corps. It’s apparent through his memoirs that the trained warrior had the character of a well rounded gentleman. He rose through the ranks to command the 1st Marine Division to victory at Guadalcanal and on New Year's Day 1944, while WWII continued on, he was sworn in as the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
In the aftermath of WWII the American government was looking for avenues to reduce the scope of the defense department. Several groups and individuals wished to meld the Marine Corps into the Army and other service branches to the point of possible extinction. General Vandegrift stood his ground and through his vision as the CMC he provided Congressional input for the National Security Act of 1947 and other legislative bills to firmly establish the existence of the Marine Corps as a vital military branch with defined roles and missions.
In the aftermath of WWII the American government was looking for avenues to reduce the scope of the defense department. Several groups and individuals wished to meld the Marine Corps into the Army and other service branches to the point of possible extinction. General Vandegrift stood his ground and through his vision as the CMC he provided Congressional input for the National Security Act of 1947 and other legislative bills to firmly establish the existence of the Marine Corps as a vital military branch with defined roles and missions.
January 18, 2013
An important history of the battles fought by the Marines in World War II.
General Vandegrift was the on-the-ground Commander of all Marine and Army units during the battle for Guadalcanal.
"...General Hyakutake, commanding all Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, somewhat prematurely established the procedure for our surrender. Once the perimeter was overrun, I and my staff were to be escorted to the mouth of the Mantanikau where I would formerly surrender Guadalcanal. We would then be flown to Tokyo and paraded through the streets, presumably to delight the populace." (page 187)
BATTLE OF THE TENARU (Guadalcanal): "We beat the Japanese at the Tenaru. The attack cost them some 800 dead with only a handful escaping to the jungle. Our own casualties came to 100 with 43 dead. ... Yesterday the Jap seemed something almost superhuman, a kind of mechanical juggernaut that swept inexorably through the Philippines, through the Dutch East Indies, over the beaches at Guam and Wake Island, through the jungles of New Guinea. ... But today we had beaten the Japs. They no longer seemed superhuman." (pages 142-143)
"...the blind, crazy assaults against our Tenaru position which revealed how fanaticism could produce tactical blindness." (page 163)
"The messages intercepted by our intelligence pointed in certain cases to mass confusion at top (Japanese) command levels." (page 163)
General Vandegrift was the on-the-ground Commander of all Marine and Army units during the battle for Guadalcanal.
"...General Hyakutake, commanding all Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, somewhat prematurely established the procedure for our surrender. Once the perimeter was overrun, I and my staff were to be escorted to the mouth of the Mantanikau where I would formerly surrender Guadalcanal. We would then be flown to Tokyo and paraded through the streets, presumably to delight the populace." (page 187)
BATTLE OF THE TENARU (Guadalcanal): "We beat the Japanese at the Tenaru. The attack cost them some 800 dead with only a handful escaping to the jungle. Our own casualties came to 100 with 43 dead. ... Yesterday the Jap seemed something almost superhuman, a kind of mechanical juggernaut that swept inexorably through the Philippines, through the Dutch East Indies, over the beaches at Guam and Wake Island, through the jungles of New Guinea. ... But today we had beaten the Japs. They no longer seemed superhuman." (pages 142-143)
"...the blind, crazy assaults against our Tenaru position which revealed how fanaticism could produce tactical blindness." (page 163)
"The messages intercepted by our intelligence pointed in certain cases to mass confusion at top (Japanese) command levels." (page 163)
March 30, 2020
An officer and a gentleman, General Vandergrift does not reveal that General Charles Barrett did not die from an accidental fall. Relieved of command by Admiral "Bull" Halsey, Barrett committed suicide by jumping out of a second floor window. While knowing this Vandergrift nonetheless kept silent in his biography. A good read for anyone interested in United States Marine Corps history.
March 11, 2013
This book was one of the first WWll non-fictions I ever read. It inspired me to never give up fighting for what I believe in, no matter how tough things got. It also gave me insight into what my beloved stepfather went through in the Third Marine Division during the war. Amazing book.
July 21, 2010
From Guadalcanal to the Commandant, USMC.
October 13, 2015
General Vandegrift was commandant of the Marine Corps during World War II. This is his memoirs.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews