War is personal : hell, luck, and resilience: a WWII combat Marine's accounts of Okinawa and China / Roy Wilkes, USMC, compiled by Elaine Wilkes.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The invasion of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest battles of WWII Pacific. The casualties were monumental. Roy Wilkes, Private, USMC was unfortunate enough to have a front-row seat. He witnessed twenty-three of his friends die in a bombing. True, gripping stories and pictures reveal the mind, heart, and soul of a fighting WWII Marine.

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK:

"The grim reaper missed me. The dumb bastard had a close-up swing at me on six different occasions--and missed."

"The casualties were monumental. Trucks were coming down the lines with Marines piled like cordwood. They put ponchos over 'em, but you could see all these feet dangling out. It was like a conveyor belt. We were going up and they were coming back. The only difference is we were alive--and they were dead."

"The Marine Raider A Raider is a part of the elite special operations force] said, "If another grenade comes in, I'll take care of it." And just as he said that another grenade came in. He grabbed his rifle and charged the hill."

"Continuous rain dampened the soul. The low, thick dark clouds made sure God didn't see. What happened here was a secret from Him.

God was busy someplace else. So this part of His Universe went insane."

Semper Fi

This fascinating book is also a perfect history lesson for students since it covers all aspects of the Battle of Okinawa: Mental, emotional, historical, and personal. There are short stories about the war--some tragic, some funny, some thought-provoking--but all true. There are also 54 pictures, two interviews with Roy, and "After the War" pages. This eye witness account gives the complete picture of what World War II was really like and how PTSD was with him till the end of his life.