Harvey Ball, a signals sergeant in Company L, 383rd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, served on the Pacific Front during World War II. His memoir recounts the division's training and the horrific conditions he endured during months of brutal fighting on Leyte and Okinawa. Three comrades were killed by a stray grenade as they stood beside him. Ball himself was awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry. By weaving together details from the battlefield with personal reflections, his account contrasts the official narrative with the lived reality of the infantrymenexhaustion, terror, and the camaraderie that sustained them through jungles, caves, and mountains. Moments of humanity shine through, from poems recited in the mud to rare respites, even as the war ended with the atomic bomb and Japan's surrender. A gifted artist, whose most famous creation is the iconic smiley face, Ball also sketched life on the front lines. He drew portraits of comrades for their families and captured scenes of the chaos of war. These sketches, along with his memoirs, offer a deeply personal glimpse into the Pacific War.
Group
Books (first-hand)
Author
Ball. Harvey R.
Title
With the Deadeyes on Leyte and Okinawa
Details
English text, some bw-drawings. 316 pages.
State
new
Subtitle
A Memoir of the 96th Infantry Division in the Pacific War
