Introduction
The battle of Peleliu involved the United States of America and the Empire of Japan in 1944 (Wood 33). There were many casualties during the battle. Sledge’s With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa recounts the horrific happenings during the battle. The sled was one of the U.S Marines that experienced violence in Peleliu and Okinawa. He gives comprehensive details of the brutality and violence of the war that the United States of America named Operation Stalemate.
Sled outlines the essence of the war and the bitterness that came when he saw helpless comrades being killed. In the narration of his experience during the battle, he recounts the role of Captain Andrew Haldane, the commanding officer of King Company, during the Peleliu battle. Haldane Andy was one of the admired U.S Marines during the fight. The following essay analyzes the attitudes of Sledge towards his commander, Andy Haldane.
Overview of the Battle
During the Second World War, there were many battlefronts. One of the forgotten old wars is the battle of Peleliu that had a lot of casualties (Brotherton and Makos 13). This was one of the fiercest battles in the Pacific region that led to confrontation between the U.S and Japan (Sommerville 12). The sled was one of the Marines that landed in Peleliu and Okinawa. In the book, he presents the horrific encounters of the battle.
Sledge points to the ordeal that the troops had to go through. One key description focuses on the admiration of Captain Andy Haldane. Despite the ugly war scenes, Haldane could show compassion to his Marines. The depiction shows the positive attitudes that Sledge had towards the captain. Sled exemplifies the character of the revered captain and thus depicts his attitude towards his commander.
Sledge’s Attitude towards Captain Andy
The attitude of Sledge towards Captain Andy Haldane is that he was full of compassion and a hero. He presents the captain as a person willing to help his battalion under the most trying conditions. In recounting the role Andy played, Sledge notes that the captain showed utmost compassion (141). For example, Andy helped Sledge when he froze as he tried to get off the beach. Furthermore, the positive attitude is depicted by a heartfelt talk in which Sledge expressed his fears that related to the battle. Sledge discusses how he interacted with the captain and exemplifies the role played by Haldane in the battle of Peleliu (141).
According to Sledge, Andy commanded the destinies of the Marines during the difficult times and demonstrated the leadership that encouraged the U.S Marines during the trying times (141). “The loss of close friends grieved me deeply, but the loss of our commander at Peleliu was like losing a parent we depended upon for our security…” (Sledge 140-141). Such a statement clearly demonstrates the positive attitude and the feeling Sledge had towards his Captain Andy Haldane. Further, he exemplifies the role Andy played and noted that he provided mental security during the war. Sledge writes:
“Capt. Andy Haldane wasn’t an idol. He was human. But he commanded our individual destinies under the most trying conditions with the utmost compassion. We knew he could never be replaced. He was the finest Marine officer I ever knew….” (141)
The aspect of providing mental security is a component that is normally attached to friends and people that we are close to (Sloan 23). Therefore, the statement is an indication of the positive attitude, and the revere Sledge had towards Andy. The attitude towards Captain Andy depicts the character traits of Andy. In order to affirm the basis of the attitude, Burgin explains the passion the captain showed (141). Burgin notes that Captain Andy was an old machine gunner and was not satisfied with the firing positions taken by own machine gunners who dug very low (181). Due to his compassionate approach towards the war, Andy defied the warning not to show his head over the top due to the lethal Japanese snipers on the other side. Burgin wrote:
“Someone needed to see what was beyond the hill in order to direct the battalion’s fire…” (181)
Due to the zeal and compassion for his battalion, Captain Andy Haldane lifted his head and began to encourage his troops; however, a sniper bullet hit him. Amidst the deadly battle zone, Sledge points out that the positive attitude of Andy in directing the troops could be recognized (139). Sledge recounts that the sight was full of corpses. Some of the corpses were of comrades killed and mutilated by the brutal Japanese forces.
According to Sledge, the terror and desperation of the battle of Peleliu were almost unbearable (139). Despite the occurrences experienced on the battlefield and the presence of the Japanese Snipers, Captain Andy Haldane still had the courage to empower his troops mentally and even led them to battlefronts. He dared to endanger his life in order to lead his troops against the enemy. His zeal to guide the Marines resulted in his death. Sledge notes that it was during the attempt to examine the terrain his company was occupying that he met his death (141).
In addition, Sledge acknowledges that he had never contemplated the death of the captain (141). This was despite the many people who were killed and wounded. To some extent, Sledge thought that Haldane was immortal (Sledge 140). According to Sledge, Haldane’s leadership provided stability and direction during challenging times (142).
The attitude towards Haldane was not only held by Sledge, but also by other members of the King Company. Sledge writes, “…we knew that he could never be replaced” (141). According to Sledge, the company felt as if the world had fallen apart when Haldane died (142).
Conclusion
The Second World War in the Pacific region was fiercely fought between the Japanese and the Americans. The battle of Peleliu was one of the battles that had a lot of casualties. In the depiction of the experiences on the battlefields, Sledge’s With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa presents the horrific encounters of the war. Sledge portrays Captain Andy as a man who provided the mental strength to King Company.
The attitude towards the captain is that of a hero, full compassion, and formidable strength. Using the book, Sledge presents the ugly scenes of the war and creates an awareness that people did not have concerning the forgotten battle. Thus, the paper has provided Sledge’s personal views towards the enemy and the war in general. Furthermore, Sledge paid personal attribute that depicts his attitude towards the fallen hero. Captain Andy was a revered Marine who commanded the destinies of the soldiers in the King Company.
Works Cited
Burgin, Romus. Islands of the Damned. New York: NAL Caliber, 2011. Print.
Makos, Adam, and Marcus Brotherton. Voices of the Pacific. New York: Berkley Books, 2013. Print.
Sledge, Eugene. With the Old Breed at Pelilieu and Okinawa. New York: Presidio Press, 2007. Print
Sloan, Bill. Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. Print.
Sommerville, Donald. The Complete Illustrated History of World War Two: An Authoritative Account of the Deadliest Conflict in Human History with Analysis of Decisive Encounters and Landmark Engagements. Leicester: Lorenz Books, 2008. Print
Wood, James. Japanese Military Strategy In The Pacific War. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.