E B Sledge

E. B. "Sledgehammer" Sledge (1923-2001) enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943. After basic training, he was sent to the Pacific Theater, where he fought at Peleliu and Okinawa, two of the fiercest battles of WWII. Following the Japanese surrnder, Sledge served in China as part of the occupation force. Upon his return home, he obtained a PhD in biology and joined the faculty of Alabama College, which later became the University of Montevallo, where he taught until retirement. He initially wrote about his war experiences to explain them to his family, but he was persuaded by his wife to seek publication.