Summary Of Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir Of The Pacific War
630 Words3 Pages
Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Manchster is a truly unique piece of autobiographical history. William Manchester takes a look back at his time in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and relives his experiences fighting on the Pacific front of the great conflict. The various military campaigns on the Pacific front beginning from the attack on Pearl Harbor and including American involvement in the Philippines, Guam, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and many others are able to be vividly experienced as a reader through the author’s talent for the written word. There are also many visual illustrations as you follow Manchester through the various routes his regiment took throughout the war. The book’s opening story depicts a frightened young Manchester killing someone for the first time, a Japanese sniper, and being overwhelmed with the gravity and seriousness of his actions, breaking down…show more content… This heart wrenching story of a young and confused American patriot begins what is a fascinating depiction of dedication, fear, heartbreak, and uncertainty. The author describes at one point getting injured in June of 1945 and immediately returning to join his regiment on the Oruku Peninsula, and explains that he may have chosen to return because he was at the time very patriotic, did not care about rank, and did not seek any glory. He then expresses that his return was “an act of love”, that “those men on the line were my family, my home.” (451) The author was enlisted in the Marine Corps after the Pearl Harbor attack and his experiences with training are both entertaining and informative as readers follow him step by step through his journey into battle. Once deployed to the Pacific he experiences combat for the first time and leads his men as a