The true story of R.V. Burgin, the real-life World War II Marine Corps hero featured in HBO®'s The Pacific.
"Read his story and marvel at the man...and those like him."-Tom Hanks
When a young Texan named R.V. Burgin joined the Marines 1942, he never imagined what was waiting for him a world away in the Pacific. There, amid steamy jungles, he encountered a ferocious and desperate enemy in the Japanese, engaging them in some of the most grueling and deadly fights of the war.
In this remarkable memoir, Burgin reveals his life as a special breed of Marine. Schooled by veterans who had endured the cauldron of Guadalcanal, Burgin's company soon confronted snipers, repulsed jungle ambushes, encountered abandoned corpses of hara-kiri victims, and warded off howling banzai attacks as they island-hopped from one bloody battle to the next. In his two years at war, Burgin rose from a green private to a seasoned sergeant, fighting from New Britain through Peleliu and on to Okinawa, where he earned a Bronze Star for valor.
With unforgettable drama and an understated elegance, Burgin's gripping narrative stands alongside those of classic Pacific chroniclers like Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge-indeed, Burgin was even Sledge's platoon sergeant. Here is a deeply moving account of World War II, bringing to life the hell that was the Pacific War.
R.V. Burgin earned a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. He was the platoon sergeant featured in Eugene Sledge's classic memoir, With the Old Breed, and was portrayed by Martin McCann is HBO's miniseries The Pacific. He lives in Lancaster, Texas.
Show moreThe true story of R.V. Burgin, the real-life World War II Marine Corps hero featured in HBO®'s The Pacific.
"Read his story and marvel at the man...and those like him."-Tom Hanks
When a young Texan named R.V. Burgin joined the Marines 1942, he never imagined what was waiting for him a world away in the Pacific. There, amid steamy jungles, he encountered a ferocious and desperate enemy in the Japanese, engaging them in some of the most grueling and deadly fights of the war.
In this remarkable memoir, Burgin reveals his life as a special breed of Marine. Schooled by veterans who had endured the cauldron of Guadalcanal, Burgin's company soon confronted snipers, repulsed jungle ambushes, encountered abandoned corpses of hara-kiri victims, and warded off howling banzai attacks as they island-hopped from one bloody battle to the next. In his two years at war, Burgin rose from a green private to a seasoned sergeant, fighting from New Britain through Peleliu and on to Okinawa, where he earned a Bronze Star for valor.
With unforgettable drama and an understated elegance, Burgin's gripping narrative stands alongside those of classic Pacific chroniclers like Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge-indeed, Burgin was even Sledge's platoon sergeant. Here is a deeply moving account of World War II, bringing to life the hell that was the Pacific War.
R.V. Burgin earned a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. He was the platoon sergeant featured in Eugene Sledge's classic memoir, With the Old Breed, and was portrayed by Martin McCann is HBO's miniseries The Pacific. He lives in Lancaster, Texas.
Show moreR.V. Burgin earned a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. He was the platoon sergeant featured in Eugene Sledge's classic memoir, With the Old Breed, and was portrayed by Martin McCann in HBO's miniseries The Pacific. A native of Texas, he passed away in 2019 at the age of 96.
“R.V. Burgin is one of those American boys who became a Marine—no
small feat. He then went across the Pacific, returning home to
Jewett, Texas only after helping to save the world. Read his story
and marvel at the man...and those like him.”—Tom Hanks,
Oscar-winning Actor and Star of Saving Private Ryan, Executive
Producer of Band of Brothers and The Pacific
“An honest, straightforward memoir by an honest, straightforward
man. Burgin has written an unforgettable, moving description of his
experiences as an infantry Marine, from New Britain to Okinawa. The
result is a classic combat account. I highly recommend this
book.”—John C. McManus, Author of The Dead and Those About to
Die and September Hope
“[A] well-written, excellently detailed personal narrative...Time
is thinning the ranks of America’s Pacific War veterans. But
Islands of the Damned is a taut, engrossing, haunting book that
will help keep their accomplishments and enormous sacrifices
alive.”—Dallas Morning News
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