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Home , Eugene Sledge, Paul Fussell

ACCESSION SHEET

AUBURN UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Record Group: 96 Accession: 96-38

Collection Name: Papers

Dates: 1937- 1996

Cubic Feet/Number of Items:. 3.8 cu ft.

Number of Boxes: 3 r.c. boxes, 1 small flat o.s. box, 1 document tube

Contents/Scope: This collection contains notebooks, memorandums, Marine Corps records, and a portion of the original outline that formed the basis for at Peleliu and Okinawa, Sledge’s memoir of his service in those campaigns during World War II. Many letters to Sledge commenting on With the Old Breed contain wartime reminiscences of soldiers who also served in in World War II. The collection includes photographs including World War II era photos of his platoon, contemporary photographs of Peleliu and Okinawa, and photographs of veterans’ groups. It also contains articles by Sledge and other authors concerning World War II in the Pacific, clippings relating to the 50th anniversary of World War II, correspondence (including wartime correspondence), and artifacts.

Biographical / Historical Sketch: Eugene B. Sledge was born November 4, 1923, in Mobile, Alabama, son of Edward S. and Mary Frank Sturdivant Sledge. He volunteered for the Marine Corps in 1942 during World War II, and after a brief stay in an officer training program at , enlisted and fought with the Marine Corps in the Pacific theater of , participating in the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa in 1944 and 1945. He spent some time with the Marine Corps in , China after the war, before being discharged from service in 1946. He earned a B.S. from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now ) in 1949, and an M.S. in botany in 1955. In 1960, he earned a Ph.D. in biology from the . From 1962 until his retirement in 1990, he taught biology at the . He wrote a bestselling memoir of his service in the Pacific in World War II, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, published in 1981. A memoir of his postwar service in China, , was published in 2002, after his death the preceding year.

Restrictions/Access:

Physical Condition: Good Processed by: Dixie Dysart Date: 4-23-96

FINDING AID

AUBURN UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Acc. No. 96-38 Collection Name- Eugene Sledge Papers R.G. No. 96 Listed By- Dixie Dysart Date- 4-23-96

BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

1 1 Notebook and memorandum book of E. B. Sledge containing observations about Peleliu, Okinawa, and China; portion of original outline for With the Old Breed 1946; notes; War Area Service Corps Diary for 1946 (China); miscellaneous business cards, etc.; certificate of ownership of .45 caliber Colt Automatic pistol, Sheriff’s certificate of identification of .45 caliber Colt Automatic pistol; letter from E. B. Sledge to Dr. and Mrs. E. S. Sledge 7-3-44; World War II letter from Eugene B. Sledge to his parents, May 1945; correspondence with The Leatherneck 1947; correspondence concerning Peleliu campaign; clipping concerning Eugene B. Sledge 4-14-37; draft of forward for With the Old Breed; miscellaneous correspondence 1944-62; letter from Marcel van Hendryck with 1 photo of van Hendryck ca. 1957 and 1 photograph of Chieh-ni, Hsiu-chen, and Margaret Song 2 Letters with 7 photographs of veterans of Peleliu and Okinawa campaigns 1981 (T. J. Stanley); Letter with 1 photograph of veterans 1983 (P. C. Juliam); letter with 7 photographs of Okinawa (Sammy M. Ray) 1984; letter with 5 photographs of K-3-5 veterans 1980 (Velton Burgin); photograph of K-3-5 insignia and casualty list from Pacific operations in World War II; 1 photograph concerning K-3-5; 2 photographs (Lee Marvin and film crew, Camp Pendleton); photograph of Sgt. Earl Dobrinsko I-3-5; 5" x 7" photograph of survivors of K Co. 3rd Bn., 5th Marines, First Marine Division attending the Division’s reunion, Indianapolis, IN Aug. 7-10, 1980; 1 photograph of survivors of K-3-5, White House Rose Garden 8- 10-84; 1 photograph of wives of members of K-3-5, White House Rose Garden 8-10-84; letter from T. J. Stanley 8-31-82, 1 photograph of R. V. Burgin at 1st Marine Div. Reunion, August 1982, 1 photograph of E. B. Sledge with plaque presented to him for writing With the Old Breed August 1982; letter from Eric Mailander 1-3-83 and 7 photographs taken on Peleliu 1981; letter from Ed Ward 8-15-95 and 1 photograph of Tex Barrow and Jim Anderson, August

BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

1995; Letter from Leonard Hancock, Jr. 10-29-94, 1 photograph of display concerning the (1994), 3 photographs of Peleliu display 1994; letter ca. 1990; 3 photographs taken at August 1990 reunion of K-3-5, and list of men in the photographs; 1 photograph of Hill 69, Okinawa, 1983; Letter 5-5-91, 8 photographs taken on Okinawa March 1991, and description of photographs; letter 11-30-91 and 8 photographs taken in Palau 1991 3 Eugene T. Sledge: general correspondence 1981-90 4 Correspondence concerning Sledge genealogy 5 Correspondence with Brig. Gen. Austin C. Shofner, USMC (Ret.) 1976-95, including an account of his escape from a Japanese POW camp after the Bataan Death March. 6 Correspondence, etc. concerning USS Peleliu; 8" x 10" photograph of USS Peleliu autographed by Capt. Thomas P. Scott; booklet marking the commissioning of the USS Peleliu 5-3-80; letter 6-10- 80 concerning the commissioning of the USS Peleliu 7 Miscellaneous clippings, certificates, etc. 8 Correspondence with T. J. Stanley 1980-83 9 Correspondence and clippings concerning the article “Peleliu: A Neglected Battle” 10 Correspondence with or concerning servicemen and veterans 1975- 89 11 General correspondence 1961-91 12 The Atlantic July 1974 (containing an excerpt from The Good War: An Oral History of World War II by Studs Terkel concerning E. B. Sledge), Letter from Judy Farlan to E. B. Sledge dated 6-13-84 13 Marine Corps Gazette November 1979, containing “Peleliu: A Neglected Battle” (Part I) 14 Marine Corps Gazette December 1979, containing “Peleliu: A Neglected Battle” (Part II--Assault into Hell) 15 Marine Corps Gazette January 1980, containing “Peleliu: A Neglected Battle” (Conclusion--Victory at High Cost) 16 Leatherneck November 1964 (containing “Pacific ‘44"); Leatherneck September 1983 (containing “Peleliu--Recollections of a Pfc” by E. B. Sledge); correspondence concerning these articles; Leatherneck April 1985 autographed by Paul E. Ison containing “`Death Valley’ Photo” with photographs by Paul E. Ison, letter from Ison to Sledge 6-17-85 17 Montevallo Today September 1981 (containing “`War is Hell’” concerning Eugene Sledge’s writings about World War II) 18 After the Battle No. 43 (containing “Okinawa: A Marine Returns”) 19 Texas Monthly August 1994 (containing “War Paint” by Anne Dingus) BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

20 A Brief History of the 5th Marines (1963) 21 Readings in the History of the Marine Corps (containing a reprint of Eugene B. Sledge’s article “Peleliu: A Neglected Battle”) 22 “Dated Events War Map” (1942); “One World One War” map 1942 23 Letter from Japanese journalist Seishiro Hokama to E. B. Sledge dated 10-8-90 and 19 5" x 8" photographs of Okinawa and 1 4" x 5" photograph of Hokama 24 Japanese newspapers 25 Correspondence with Robert W. Smith 1980-82 26 Clippings, correspondence, etc. regarding Studs Terkel 1983-84 27 Correspondence with Thomas J. Stanley 1980-83; 1 photographic negative 28 Correspondence with Waite W. Worden 1984-86, including letters describing his experiences in the Pacific Theater during World War II and afterward, remarks concerning Japanese prisoners convicted of war crimes, etc. 29 “Guadalcanal Remembered” by Nikolai Stevenson; “Captain Munsch and the Skytrain: A Forgotten Episode of the Battle of Midway” by Robert J. Cressman; “The Confederate States Marine Corps” by Ralph W. Donnelly; “Big-Foot Brown” by Edwin H. Simmons; correspondence with Col. Albert S. Munsch, USMC (Ret.) 30 Scrapbook pages containing 13 photographs of Okinawa, China, etc. 31 Portion of memoir of Col. Harold Harris (CO of 5th Marine Regt. at Peleliu) 32 “The Final Secret of Pearl Harbor” by John T. Flynn 33 Letters, clippings, etc. concerning The Old Breed 1982-89 34 Letters, clippings, etc. concerning The Old Breed 1982-89 35 Excerpts from Japanese Ground and Air Forces (Washington, DC: War Department, 5-1-42) 36 Documents concerning Eugene B. Sledge’s Marine Corps service 37 Correspondence concerning E. B. Sledge’s participation in Psychological Preparation for Combat Panel, Marine Corps Command and Staff College; correspondence with Marine Corps Leadership Department Education Center 38 New York Times Book Review 9-3-89 (with review of Wartime by ), letter 10-4-89 concerning Wartime; The Atlantic August 1989 containing “The Real War 1939-45" by Paul Fussell

2 1 K Company (correspondence, etc. 1980-83) 2 K-3-5: 4 photographs ca. 1983 of members of K-3-5, 1 photograph taken at Guadalcanal memorial monument ceremony 8-13-82, muster roll 1982, correspondence, etc. BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

3 “Okinawa: `What’s Past is Prologue’” 4 Gazette correspondence: 2 photographs of Eddie Miller (9-17-77 and 1943); letter 9-15-83 and 1 photograph of Charles Leonard, Okinawa, March 1983; letter 2-28-83 and 1 photograph of Japanese bunker on Tarawa; letter 1-15-83 and 1 photograph; Christmas card and 1 photograph of Maj. Gen. James Day and Terry Doherty 3-17- 81; letter 9-25-81 and 3 photographs of “reunion”; letter 1-27-82 and World War II era photograph of Andy Haldane and John A. Davies (?), Melbourne, Australia; 1 photograph of “Bill” and son; 1 8' x 10" photograph (1982) of U. S. Army memorial on Peleliu; “February 1984 Memorial, Dedication Ceremony at Peleliu” from Old Breed News October 1984; 15 photographs (1982) of various locations on Peleliu; undated letter, 2 photocopies of letters, clipping, and 1 8" x 10" photograph of 984th Platoon, U. S. Marine Corps, 1943; letter 2-3-81 with 1 color slide of mortar section in swamp area, 1st Div. Peleliu, Sept. 1944; correspondence, etc. 5 “The Invasion: The Pattern of the War is Changed as U. N. Forces Strike the Red Rear” from Life 10-2-50; “Sympathy for the Terrorist,” The Washington Times, 5-26-86; letter from E. B. Sledge concerning water-cooled mortars from Fortitude, Vol. X, no. 1, Summer 1980; review of Howlin’ Mad vs. the Army by Philip A. Crowl, Marine Corps Gazette, August 1986 6 Clippings concerning Harry Truman’s derogatory remarks about the Marine Corps 1950-51 7 Letter to Maj. Stephen P. Folan, USMC, 8-3-88; military history bibliography; “‘Tardy George’ and `Extra Billy’: Nicknames in the Civil War” by Carl M. Becker from Civil War History December 1989 8 Correspondence with Peacock Press 1984-87, Random House 1977- 78, St. Martin’s Press 1979, Prentice Hall 1977, 1990 9 Correspondence, etc. concerning With the Old Breed 1980-96 (including a letter from Ronald Reagan 11-23-82) 10 Correspondence with and concerning servicemen and veterans 1977- 96; letter 5-29-81 and 2 photographs of A. A. Haldane, USMC ca. 1943; letter 5-23-83 and 1 photograph of M. A. Shelton ca. 1945; letter 3-14-83, 1 photograph of Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Shelton ca. 1983, and 1 photograph of veterans of K-3-5, May 1981 11 Eugene Sledge: general correspondence 1967-95, letter 1-5-90 with 1 photograph of oil pumphouse; letter 4-26-86 with 1 photograph of the headstone of 2nd Lt. George DeLay CSA, 1829-64; 2 photographs from Tibet 1992

BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

12 Correspondence concerning the publication of Eugene Sledge’s articles in the Marine Corps Gazette 1978-80 13 Correspondence with or concerning Henry Boyes 1979-86, 1 photograph of Boyes grandchildren, 2 photographs of tanks used in the movie “Fields of Fire” 14 Correspondence with Maj. A. C. Bevilacqua, USMC (Ret.) 1980-84, review of With the Old Breed by Bevilacqua 15 Correspondence with Presidio Press 1979-83 16 Correspondence relating to E. B. Sledge’s appearance on Good Morning America 1985 17 Excerpts from The Marine’s Handbook (1940) and What’s What concerning grenades; information on 60 mm mortar and various cartridges 18 Correspondence with Paul E. Ison 1976-85 19 Correspondence with Tucker Giblin 1984-86 20 Correspondence with George B. Clark 1983-85 21 Correspondence with Benis M. Frank 1980-94 22 Correspondence with Frank Farrell 1984-89 23 Correspondence with Jay de l’Eau 1984-91 24 Correspondence with Brig. Gen. Walter S. McIlhenny, USMC (Ret.) 1977-82 25 Correspondence with Col. John A. Crown, USMC (Ret.) 1977-80 26 Correspondence with 1984 27 Correspondence with Greg Hilbers 1986-88 28 Marine Corps Gazette June 1984; Marine Corps Gazette April 1982 29 Correspondence with Harry R. Horsman (Guadalcanal Campaign Veterans) 1983-84 30 Correspondence with H. C. Merillat 1983-89 31 “My Confrontation with General Patton” by Bill Mauldin 32 Correspondence with Etsujiro Miyagi 1984 33 “The Marine Shop” catalog of Marine uniforms, accessories, etc. 34 Correspondence with Joe Marciano 1983-86, 2 photographs of Joe Marciano 2-23-83 35 “Manchester on Churchill: the Past is Prolix,” review of William Manchester’s The Last Lion by John Muggeridge 36 Correspondence with Joseph Moskalzak 1986-88 37 Correspondence with George W. Poppe 1984 38 Correspondence with Richard Kennard 1983-86, draft forward to Combat Letters Home by Richard Kennard, copies of letters from the South Pacific Theater 1944-45 39 Correspondence, draft of script, etc. concerning film rights to With the Old Breed BOX FILE DESCRIPTION 40 Correspondence with William Lundgren 1984-85, rough draft of script “Combat Leadership”

3 1 Correspondence with William J. Leyden 1982-95, including correspondence concerning his VA claim; photocopy of “The Hell that was Peleliu” from Saga, June 1967 2 “Okinawa Invasion Recalled” by James Spotswood, Birmingham News March 19, 1970; World War II, November 1995 containing “Okinawa’s Bloody Conquest” by John F. Wukovits; “Ex-Marines Recall Muddy, Bloody Fight for Okinawa in ‘45" by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 4-1-95; “Cakewalk Turned Out to Be Bloody Fight in ” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 9-24- 94; “Sketches in the Trenches” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 1-30-94; “`Everything Seemed to Be on Fire’ in Fight for Tarawa” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 11-14-93; “Former POWs Recall Cruelty of Enemy During World War II” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 9-20-92; “rescue of POWs at Infamous Camp Recalled” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 1-21-95; “Navy Crewmen Recall Grim Scene after Japanese Surprise Attack” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 3-18-95; “One of Texas’ Most Decorated” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 3-25-95; “Belgian Night So Bitterly Cold Bodies Froze in Macabre Tableau” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 2-11- 95; “Veterans Remember the Fight” by Bob Tutt from the Houston Chronicle 2-10-91 3 “The Beginning of the End” by Brig. Gen. Austin Shofner, USMC (Ret.), a manuscript concerning Marines in the Pacific, December 1941 4 “Hammering the Enemy” by Frank Mastin, Jr. from the Montgomery Advertiser 9-2-95, letter from Frank Mastin, Jr. to E. B. Sledge 9-5-95; “Japanese Vets Weep as They Visit WWII’s `Death Railway’” by Sheila McNulty from The Birmingham News 11-30-94; “50 Years Later, Okinawa Seeks a New Peace” by Gidget Funetes from Navy Times 6-26-95; “WWII Historian Seeks Reckoning for Japanese” by Ken Ringle 3-17-95; “A-Bomb Wasn’t a Moral Issue to Troops in the Pacific” by Blackie Sherrod from The Dallas Morning News 8-3-95; “The Tribe that Can’t Admit It Was Wrong” from The Weekly Telegraph (London), Issue No. 205; “A Long Road Home” by Richard L. Harwood from The Washington Post 7-26-95; “Let A-Bomb Revisionists Talk to Uncle Stanley” by George Weigel from The Los Angeles Times 8-2-95; “A War to Remember?” by Garry Abrams, The Los Angeles Times 8-10-95; political cartoon from The Birmingham News 7-28-95; “ Remembers Atom BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

Bomb with Horror, but with Little Guilt” by Janice Fuhrman from The Birmingham News 8-5-90 5 Letters concerning the Smithsonian Enola Gay exhibit 1995 6 Book reviews making reference to With the Old Breed 1995 7 Correspondence concerning Eugene Sledge’s appearance on CBS Reports and Dateline NBC 1995 8 Copy of log book from Peleliu of Sgt. Major David Bailey; correspondence from Charles W. Caldwell concerning the Bailey (1995) 9 Correspondence with Eugene W. Feldman 1989-95, including correspondence concerning the National Security Seminar 10 Organizing Committee Report and other documents regarding the Republic of Palau’s Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu, September 12-15, 1994; correspondence 11 Peleliu map, operation plan, after action reports, the Japanese “Order of battle” for the defense of Peleliu, correspondence, etc. 12 Photocopies: “Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters” (Okinawa); excerpt from A Visit to India, China, and , in the Year 1853 by Bayard Taylor (1855); US Senate documents relating to the naval expedition to Japan (1855); “Memories of `My War’: June 1993" (concerning World War II) by Glenn W. Searles 13 List of World War II Marine mothers, Mobile (compiled by Mary F. Sledge) 14 “Peleliu 1944: Why Did We Go There?” by Eugene B. Sledge, from Proceedings of the Naval Institute September 1994; rough drafts; correspondence; etc. 15 Newsweek September 4, 1989 containing a review of With the Old Breed 16 Leatherneck reviews, correspondence, etc. 1982 17 Reviews of With the Old Breed, correspondence, etc.1981-91 18 3-5 Muster Roll 1945 19 3-5-1 Muster Roll 1944 (Peleliu) 20 Cards recording K-3-5 battle casualties from Muster rolls, 3rd Bn., 5th Marines, , Okinawa 21 Muster Roll: K Co., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Guadalcanal) 22 Photocopies of material concerning Peleliu and Okinawa during World War II 23 Eugene B. Sledge vita May 16, 1994; “Memories of the Old Breed” by Niki Sepsas; correspondence with Niki Sepsas, 1994; Letter 4- 14-93, transcript of interview with Eugene B. Sledge 2-7-93, synopsis of interview with Eugene B. Sledge 24 Clippings concerning Eugene B. Sledge and With the Old Breed, clippings concerning the 50th anniversary of World War II, book BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

reviews, miscellaneous clippings, etc. 25 Eugene B. Sledge: Conference schedules, certificate of appreciation, correspondence, etc. 26 Correspondence concerning With the Old Breed 1990-95 27 Servicemen and veterans: Correspondence regarding With the Old Breed 1986-94, clippings, etc. 28 Letter from Sterling Mace, 3-31-80; 10 8" x 10" and 1 3.5" x 5" photographs relating to theatrical productions at Jones Beach 1963- 76; clipping 1-29-80 regarding Jones Beach Theater. Subjects of photographs include Guy Lombardo, Dom de Luis, and Ron Swoboda (autographed). 29 The First Marine Division on Okinawa 1 April - 30 June, 1945 prepared by Capt. James R. Stockman, USMC 30 Fortitude Summer 1977 containing “Setting the Record Straight on the Black Sheep Squadron” by Col. Frank E. Walton 31 “Some Recollections of Peleliu Campaign” by Brig. Gen. Harold (Bucky) Harris, correspondence, etc. 32 Correspondence 3-17-94; Lt. Brockington’s K/3/5 experience, June 1945 (Okinawa) 33 “Personal Encounter with a Zero” by Eugene Sledge; correspondence to Dr. and Mrs. E. S. Sledge, letters from the War & Navy Departments (V-Mail); letter from “Sid” to Mrs. E. S. Sledge 10-1-44; 2 letters from Rev. Marcel Van Hemelryck dated 4-28-47 and 11-19-47, 1 photograph of E. B. Sledge and Father Marcel (1947); 1 photograph of Sharron pitching horseshoes (Peiping, December 1945); 1 photograph of 5 Japanese women (taken from a dead Japanese soldier on Okinawa 1945) 34 “The Airstrike that Wasn’t” by Corydon Wagner, Jr. (as told to him by Col. Russell E. Honsowetz), in Leatherneck. November 1987; “The United States Marines in North China 1945-1949" by Henry I. Shaw, Jr., Marine Corps Historical Reference Series No. 23 (1960); Raisin Jack and Other Stories by John R. McCormick (Huntsville, AL: Communications Skills Company, Inc., 1990); After the Battle No. 78, 1992 (Peleliu issue); Newsweek 5-23-94 containing “D- Day: Eyewitness to the Invasion”; State Plant Board News Bulletin (Florida), April 1960 containing photograph of Eugene Sledge 35 Letter from Jay [de l’Eau] 5-1-85; 1 photograph of Eugene Sledge’s platoon, negative, and list identifying some members of the platoon; 1 photograph of Paul E. Ison, Death Valley, Okinawa, May 10, 1945; 1 photograph of 984th Platoon, USMC, 1943 36 Correspondence concerning Sledge’s winning the General Oliver P. Smith Award (4-25-96)

BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

4 24" x 29.5" print of photograph of Eugene Sledge’s platoon

5 Plaque: “E. B. Sledge: to the ‘Old Breed’ from the `New Breed’ with admiration and respect”

Plaque: “Outstanding Recruiter Award presented to Eugene B. Sledge” from the First Marine Division

Plaque: photograph of 1st Marine division monument on Peleliu, photograph of Japanese monument on Peleliu, and sand from each of the three beaches on which the 1st Marine Division landed, 9-15- 44

The Old Breed: A History of the First Marine Division in World War II by George McMillan (Washington: Infantry Journal Press, 1949)

Medal commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Clara Barton

Eugene B. Sledge’s name tags for First Marine Division Association reunions 1980-84; First Marine Division patch; First Marine Division, K-3-5 button; Melanesia/Micronesia/Orient patch

Eugene B. Sledge Honorable Mention: Col. Robert D. Heinl, Jr. Memorial Award in Marine Corps History 1981, and letter 4-13-81 concerning the award

1 photograph of classroom bulletin boards from USMC Drill Instructor School, San Diego, CA, 2-28-80: “Your Influence as a Drill Instructor” featuring Eugene B. Sledge; letter 3-3-80 concerning the bulletin board

Videotape (VHS) “Combat Leadership: The Ultimate Challenge”

Videotape (VHS): “Peleliu 1944: Horror in the Pacific”

Letter and commemorative envelope honoring Marine dead of Peleliu and Ngesbus postmarked 9-15-94

Japanese cigarette cover collection found on Peleliu

BOX FILE DESCRIPTION

Life June 11, 1945 containing combat art by Tom Lea done on Peleliu (pp. 61-68)

Eugene B. Sledge, With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa Classics of Naval Literature edition (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1996). Reprint of 1990 Presidio Press edition.