“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II

A biology professor, E. B. “Sledgehammer” Sledge was stationed in the Pacific. He recollects, “There was nothing macho about the war at all. We were a bunch of scared kids who had to do a job” (59). E. B. especially recalls how US soldiers would kill wounded Japanese and steal gold teeth from their corpses. Reflecting on how people celebrated the Battle of Iwo Jima, E. B. asks, “What in the hell was glorious about it?” (65).

Today an economics professor, Robert states that fighting in World War II was his “first steady job” (66). While in the Pacific, Robert remembers “tales of these yellow thugs, subhumans, with teeth that resembled fangs” (67). Also, Robert credits the GI Bill with allowing him to study at Columbia University. However, he observes that with the Korean War that started in 1950, “things began to sour and innocence end” (68).

A soldier from Kentucky, Maurice “Jack” Wilson recalls how a black soldier lied about his race to get into a Caucasian unit. Maurice also claims he was demoted in the army as punishment for threatening to expose a superior officer who had hoarded better food rations. At one point, Maurice and others were captured by the Japanese army.