What was it like to run through a hailstorm of deadly enemy fire in the bloodiest battle in the Pacific of World War II? On February 19, 1945, Arvy Geurin, a Radioman 3rd Class, United States Navy, was about to find out as he and his Beach Party were ferried via amtrack onto the volcanic ash beach at Iwo Jima. "We weren't action heros or extrordinary men," he says. "We were farm boys and city jocks; scholars and drop-outs; rich and poor; were were just young men brought together by a common goal, moving toward the hungry jaws of war." "Walking Through Fire: An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance" is one man's time on that small Japanese Island so critical to the outcome of World War II. This former Navy Radioman does not consider himself a hero, even though with his action, lives were saved. He landed with the Fourth Marines and entered hell on earth, an ordinary man who became extraordinary under intense enemy fire. The author is 82 years of age and lives with his wife in Capitola, California.
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic first-person narrative of the Pacific campaign and battle for Iwo Jima,
By Nathan Beauchamp "ConsumerAdvocate" (Oak Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Walking Through Fire, An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance (Paperback)
This memoir of Arvy A. Geurin, a Navy radioman who served in the pacific fleet and was firsthand at the battle for Iwo Jima (the bloodiest battle in Marine history) is another well written reminder of the sacrifices our servicemen made in WWII. There is so much value in Geurin's descriptions and his candor. I've read a fair number of WWII history books and narratives, including FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS. Also about the Iwo Jima beach landing and subsequent inch-by-inch battle to take it from Japanese control, Geurin's account aptly illustrates the life of a serviceman in different ways from that more popular book (and its 2 movie spin offs). Where FOUF is an overarching description complete with quite a bit of biographical information on the individual flag raisers, WALKING THROUGH FIRE is personal and intimate, with enough detail to give it proper authenticity and authority on the topics it covers.
Because of his specific role in communications, Geurin had access to much more information that a typical sailor, and this gives his account a level of detail that is usually only present in history books, not first person narratives. A well told story is worth its weight in gold. A true one, doubly so. Well worth reading as well as owning. 5/5 Stars.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific book,
By Eric B (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Walking Through Fire, An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance (Paperback)
Hi Arvy
Got your book today, have started reading it, and found out that you and I had about the same life in our early years. My parents were poor and my Father worked on the WPA. I can remember when he would go over to a relief distribution station for those who were on relief and bring back what groceries they would give us. There were seven of us kids, and that took a lot of food. We worked wherever we could to make a dime, and lived wherever we could get free rent. Some places were only two rooms including the kitchen, Oh, I forgot that my grandmother was with us, and she was drawing old age pension, and that helped out some. Two rooms with ten people was pretty crowded. I left home at fifteen and went and lived most of the time with my sister. She married an old farm boy and I worked with him on the farm for a while and finally got a job after the war started at a place where they were making shells for the war; the forty mm and five inch up to the sixteen inch guns. I worked in the grinding department making the cutting tools for the lathes that shaped the casings. I worked there until I turned seventeen and got my parents so sign for me to go into the Navy. I joined in April 1944, and took my basics in Farrigut Idaho. Was with the ships' crew that was put aboard to operate the ship. You should know from there on what happened. Anyway, reading your book brought back tears and memories. It is well-written and I think you guys did an excellent job. S.R. McMahan
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book. Great Story.Hard to put it down.,
By
This review is from: Walking Through Fire, An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance (Paperback)
The book was great. It was so hard to put it down when you started to read it. I learned so much from reading this story than I ever did in history class. The detail and the writing was great. It made you feel that you can see what the writer saw. The details were incredible. I loved the book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
