Philip J. Magnan

Letters from the Pacific Front: My Father's Adventures from Guadalcanal to Okinawa Philip J. Magnan

Letters from the Pacific Front is the story of the extraordinary adventures of an ordinary marine and his brothers who wore their country's uniform during World War II. Bob Magnan walked point as a rifleman on Guadalcanal, survived air attacks on New Guinea, served as sniper on New Britain and directed artillery fire on Okinawa. With thousands of others he prepared for the ultimate invasion of the Japanese homeland that was averted only by unconditional surrender.

Along the way Bob's sense of duty grew ever stronger, but his youthful idealism was tempered with healthy skepticism. He basked in the hero's welcome given by Australia to the 1st Marine Division, and he suffered the near-fatal effects of tropical diseases. He mourned the loss of a brother killed-in-action. See the war through his eyes and as he interpreted it through journals and in dozens of letters he mailed home.