Jungle, Sea and Occupation : A World War II Soldier's Memoir of the Pacific Theatre

In March of 1944, Private Paul D. Veatch was shipped out to the Pacific Theater of World War II operations.

Over the next year and half he was involved in combat in the Philippines, surviving both ambush and shipwreck.

Separated from his unit, the 24th Infantry, through tragedy and rescue, he served with both the 21st and the 19th.

When the war was declared over, he was part of the occupation force in Japan until his honorable discharge in 1946.

This memoir of Veatch's experiences is a dramatic account of combat in the jungle and at sea and a memorable chronicle of one soldier's survival.

It is also a remarkable coming of age story, as the young Private Veatch finds friendship, love, and, during his time at his last post, the ancient city of Kurashiki, a fascination for the Japanese culture.

His account includes his perspective on historic battles, as well as his thoughts and feelings about combat, culture, home, and the transformation he underwent through war and peace.