Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 9/7/2017 + 2579 more book reviews

This is an entertaining mystery using a flashback technique. A young news reporter (circa late 20th century?) interviews the very old, retired editor of the town's newspaper to discover the mystery of the town's U.S. Marine hero, who was murdered in early 1943.

The ending was quite different than I expected, although the author does give you a hint slightly more than midway through the book.

However, the author doesn't know much about WWII history. For one thing, he (?) describes the Marine as being in the 5th Marine Division in 1942. Well, that division didn't even exist yet. On the next page he correctly states the Marine was in the 1st Marine Division. So I suspect he read about the 5th Marines, and assumed it meant 'division' when it really means regiment. The 1st, 5th and 7th Marines were the three infantry regiments in the 1st Marine Division.

Marines, because of the small size of the Corps, usually don't refer to themselves as being in a division but instead cite their regiment or battalion. When Marines say they are in the 5th Marines, they mean the regiment. Believe me, as I was a Marine.

The author also has the New Guinea Campaign ending in 1942, when it really lasted until the end of the war. He also screws up the description of a famous, at least to Marines, Japanese ambush of a Marine patrol soon after the landing on Guadalcanal. Then the author also has the Marines using the wrong kind of rifle at this period of World War II.

Oh well, once you get past these few early pages, enjoy the mystery.

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