With the Old Breed：At Peleliu and Okinawa

E.B."Sledgehammer"SLEDGEwasbornandgrewupinMobile.Inlate1943heenlistedintheU.S.MarineCorps.Afterbasictraining,hewassenttothePacificTheaterwherehefoughtatPeleliuandOkinawa,twoofthefiercestbattlesofWWII.FollowingtheJapanesesurrender,SledgeservedinChinaaspartoftheoccupationforce.Uponhisreturnhome,heobtainedaPh.D.inbiologyandjoinedthefacultyofAlabamaCollege(latertheUniversityofMontevallo),wherehetaughtuntilretirement.Sledgeinitiallywroteabouthiswarexperiencestoexplainthemtohisfamily,buthewaspersuadedbyhiswifetoseekpublication.SledgediedonMarch3,2001.