John Bailey

Islands of Death Islands of Victory John Bailey

ISLANDS OF DEATH - Islands of Victory is a novel about life and survival in the First Marine Division during World War II. It is seen through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Navy Hospital Corpsman, Ted Alexander. Based on actual experiences, it tells the story of Ted and other young Marines, most not old enough to vote, who faced the indescribable horror of a brutal, bloody war. It is about the joys, fears, disappointments and comradship of those who went away to war as boys, and if they survived, came home as heroic, haunted men. 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