The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-28


reading Is In store for you.
Settle yourself In an easy chair,
In warm house, after a filling
dinner. Then come to Guadal-
canal. After you've finished your
visit with the men who are fight
ing YOUR battle, you will wonder
how you ever had the gall to COM
plain about any inconvenience the
war has caused you.
MEN UNDER FIRE
INTO the Valley" (Knopf: $2) is
l. short book, only 1888 small
pages. You can head 1t in an
hour, but you won't forget 1t in
lifetime.
1t Is John Hershey's story Of a
minor battle on Guadalcanal. But
It presents a picture Of fighting
Americans that stirs your pride.
The mission failed, the skirmish
ended In defeat. But the fighting
men did not fail, they were not
beaten. Those that lived will fight
again-and win. .......
Hershey does not analyze the
battle, nor does he report 1t in
detail. He Is more concerned with
the men who fought there, their
attitude before the advance, their
actions under fire and their out
look after t he withdrawal. He
brings you O vivid picture Of off,
GERS and men, the heroes, the
wounded and the dead.
One incident Hershey reports is
particularly important to us at
home. During a pause In the adj
vance, Hershey was besieged by
Questioners demanding where's
the Army? The planes? That
great production? Strikes? Poll
tics Propaganda
He countered with a question:
To-day, here in this valley, what
are you fighting for?"
They did not answer immediate
ly Then one Of them spoke. :.
"'What I'd give for q piece of
blWsberry pie Fighting for
pie Here. pie was symbol
Of home Home seems to most
marines q pretty good thing to be
fighting for"
That includes your home, too.
FIRST OFFENSIVE
A MORE complete story Of the
"A early battles Of Guadalcanal Is
recounted by Richard T1cgaskis In
"Guadalcanal Diary" (Random
House: $500, q day-by-day re-
port Of the first American often
sive against Japan. The Diary
gives a good picture Of life on the
hot little island -- bombs at night,
snipers, stencil Of death, battles
in jungles and in the skies. Ma
rines laughing as II they were at
home, and marines in action, bet
ter men than Nippon's finest.
There are numerous incidents,
some Of which were headlined,
others which were crowded out
Of newspapers. They all add up
to the history made on Guadal.
Tregaskis reports them in simple,
direct style.
Again, a word for the Home
Frontiers: soon we may be able
to start eating three meals day,
getting away from our present
Scanty schedule Of two meals"
(Ships had arrived with more
supplies)
"Bread is still so scarce that it
Is received with whoopS Of joy.". -.
zone thinks of warm water and a
led with sheets as things that
exist only in a world Of dreams"
BRIEFLY NOTED
DOOKSE1ELVES are filled with
- volumes on the armed services,
all well worth your time. Here are
q few that should not be over
looked.
"The Flying Tigers (viking:
$3.50. The history of the Amer
lean vo.lntee Group in China,
commanded by Brig. Gen. Claire
Chennault, first Americans to fight
the Japs, long before Pearl Har-
Dor. Officially credited with 1856
Jap planes, they probably ac-
counted for 800 more. Their work,
now Overshadowed by current air
achievements, helped keep China
In the battle.
miracles Of Military Medicine"
(Duell, sloan and Pearce: e2.T6l |
Is q review Of the important new
weapons science has developed 70
save lives, not 10 take them. MILF
taTy medicine has kept pace with
advances In guns, planes ana
bombs. Wounded men have Q bet
ter chance 70 live now.
Hes IN Submarines Now" (Mc.
Bride: e2bOl clears up most OF
TIE mysteries about undersea
craft details the training Of q pig
boat sailor, and his activities IN |
peace and war. The U-boats get !
little publicity. except IN major |
nlnklnes, bat hey are al important |
branch 0g IRE Navy,
snosnbs Away" viking; e960l b |
John gselnheck.s story o. : bomber