Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island

Rating:
Summary: A Heroic Stand
Review: "Those guys are legendary in the Navy and Marines for what they did, and whenever one is around you pay him the highest respect." - a fellow Marine describes a Wake Island defender.

Author John Wukovits has selected the perfect title for his new book, "Pacific Alamo." Like the famous stand of Colonel Travis and Jim Bowie that helped win Texan independence, the battle of Wake Island in December 1941 was a hopeless cause that turned into a tactical victory as the gallant and vastly outnumbered defenders managed to buy enough time for their comrades-in-arms to organize for eventual victory. In the process, the defenders of Wake gave America a much-needed rallying cry as it regrouped from the initial disaster at Pearl Harbor.

Wukovits's outstanding military history is a fitting tribute to the military and civilian personnel who fought and died on Wake Island in the dark days immediately following the Japanese attack on Hawaii. The author sets the stage by introducing key figures who fought there and describing the political situation that led to the Japanese first strike. The accounts of the battle itself are particularly well rendered, mostly told through the recollections of the defenders themselves. The accounts several Japanese soldiers are also included, helping to provide balance to the battle descriptions.

Equally important, Wukovits doesn't end the book with the American surrender, but instead goes on to describe the experiences of the survivors in Japanese captivity. The description of their three-plus year ordeal of beatings, starvation and appalling living conditions are as harrowing as the accounts of the battle. In the final chapter, Wukovits describes the fates of the survivors of the battle after the war. In the end, the picture that emerges is of a group of reluctant heroes who did their duty when their country called.

Overall, "Pacific Alamo" is a compelling work of narrative military history that should appeal both to history buffs as well as to general readers.

Rating:
Summary: A Heroic Stand
Review: "Those guys are legendary in the Navy and Marines for what they did, and whenever one is around you pay him the highest respect." - a fellow Marine describes a Wake Island defender.

Author John Wukovits has selected the perfect title for his new book, "Pacific Alamo." Like the famous stand of Colonel Travis and Jim Bowie that helped win Texan independence, the battle of Wake Island in December 1941 was a hopeless cause that turned into a tactical victory as the gallant and vastly outnumbered defenders managed to buy enough time for their comrades-in-arms to organize for eventual victory. In the process, the defenders of Wake gave America a much-needed rallying cry as it regrouped from the initial disaster at Pearl Harbor.

Wukovits's outstanding military history is a fitting tribute to the military and civilian personnel who fought and died on Wake Island in the dark days immediately following the Japanese attack on Hawaii. The author sets the stage by introducing key figures who fought there and describing the political situation that led to the Japanese first strike. The accounts of the battle itself are particularly well rendered, mostly told through the recollections of the defenders themselves. The accounts several Japanese soldiers are also included, helping to provide balance to the battle descriptions.

Equally important, Wukovits doesn't end the book with the American surrender, but instead goes on to describe the experiences of the survivors in Japanese captivity. The description of their three-plus year ordeal of beatings, starvation and appalling living conditions are as harrowing as the accounts of the battle. In the final chapter, Wukovits describes the fates of the survivors of the battle after the war. In the end, the picture that emerges is of a group of reluctant heroes who did their duty when their country called.

Overall, "Pacific Alamo" is a compelling work of narrative military history that should appeal both to history buffs as well as to general readers.

Rating:
Summary: Pacific Alamo The Battle for Wake Island
Review: An outstanding book on what has become a not so well known battle at the beginning of WWII. The author did a great job of research in bringing this book to life.All of the men who fought and died on those 3 islands and the ones who lived we owe a never ending debt of gratitude.What they endured during their capitivity and how each man delt with the punishment and cruel conditions makes this book a must read for anyone interested in history,especially World War II buffs.Great book!

Rating:
Summary: Great reading for the historian
Review: I have been a history buff for many years, but this book on Wake Island has definitely given me some new insight. I thought the author did an outstanding job on presenting details, both new and old information, and sometimes a point of view from both sides. If I had a wish it would be that more data could have been available on the Japanesse point of view. For instance why did RADM Sakaibara execute the 98 civilians? Just revenge or were there other motives? Did Adm Kajioka loose face when he returned to port after his first defeat at Wake Island? If so how? But putting these thoughts aside, I believe it to be one of the best books that I have ever read about Wake Island and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading or researching WWII in the Pacific.

Rating:
Summary: Exhilirating.
Review: I picked up this book after playing a computer game called Battlefield 1942 by EA Games, which features Wake Island as one of it's most popular battle maps. While that may sound strange, what better way is there to experience one of WW 2's greatest battles! I had never even heard of Wake Island beforehand, but after having spent hours playing the game I was curious enough about what could possibly have happened on such a small island.

Aside from the firefights, and the story of the battle, the book introduces you to the lives of a handful of characters, from the seasoned marine officers to the the 19 year old boys who came to Wake looking for adventure, fortune, and to dig ditches for the civilian contractor. The introductions to these characters may be painstackingly detailed and devoid of charisma, but it is the only tedious part of the book, and you are rewarded with intensly personal accounts of the battle. In fact, the story continues way past the surrender, and follows the survivors along the arduous voyage to China and through the ordeals of their captivity.

You learn what it's like to share a pot of watery soup among dozens of men, to live in constant cold in the unheated barracks of a Manchurian camp. You learn what it's like to be under constant and often sadistic watch of your captors, and the power that you still have left, the power of defiance, pride, and even mischief. You learn as much about love, work, and the passage of life as you do about guns and planes.

Of course Wake Island *was* an exciting battle, full of twists and turns, and surprises. Set on a small island with it's dangerous reefs, the constant drone of crashing surf, and protected by undermanned naval guns, AA batteries, and a sparce covering of .50 cal machines guns the 2000 occupants of Wake awaited the inevitable invasion. This is the reason why I had gotten the book in the first place, and I learned much about the tactics and logistics of the war, as well as some of the unbelievable accounts of the battle.

The book is also thorough, and raises relevant topics, such as pre-war politics, and how the men were being perceived at home, as well as after the war. In fact, a none too small controversy arose because Major Deveraux, the commander in charge of Wake's marines, was given all of the credit, while Airforce Captain Cunningham was the commander of the combined garrison. The marines were deified, even a movie was made which almost completely ignored Cunningham's presence.

Some of the most unforgetable parts of the book include Lieutenant Uzeki's poetic and at the same time irreverent accounts of the battle. His vivid description of the tracer rounds zooming towards him and by his head, as if changing their mind at the last moment, is just as dramatic as the description of the honorable Lietenant(...).

This book isn't just for war history buffs or those closely related to the battle. You never know what you are going to come away with when you pick up a book, and I have no idea if the same things that made such an impression on me will be the ones that you will remember. Ultimately, we read because the lives of others eagerly reveal what fate might have in store for us, and the heroes of Pacific Alamo are certainly worth reading about.

Rating:
Summary: Remember Wake!
Review: In this fine book about the heroic struggle for Wake Island, author John Wukovits describes in great detail the heroic stand made by a handful of Marines and their civilian counterparts against a vastly superior foe. Mere hours after the Japanese had successfully attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, bombs began falling Wake. Unfortunately for the Americans, this first attack destroyed eight out of VMF-211's twelve Wildcat fighters. But what was to occur over the next two weeks has gone down in the anals of Marine lore as one of their finest hours, for this small group of Marines and their civilian counterparts held out against vastly superior forces, while inflicting tremendous damage on the over-confident Japanese.

On December 11, 1941, the Japanese tried their first amphibious assault against the Wake garrison. Major Devereux, commander of the Wake Marines, told his gunners to hold their fire until the ships got well within range of their five inch guns. Once in range, the Marines unleashed salvo after salvo on the completely surprised Japanese. Two destroyers were sunk, a light cruiser was heavily damaged, and the invasion attempt was repelled.

However, the Marines and their civilian construction worker counterparts were unable to celebrate their victory for long, because the Japanese were still delivering their daily air raids against the island. Little by little, the bombers took their toll on the remnants of the Wake air force. Soon, only one of Major Paul Putnam's fighters was able to fly, and the men, suffering from lack of food and sleep, were beginning to show signs of wearing down. To make matters worse for the defenders, a relief force organized at Pearl Harbor by Admiral Kimmel was ordered to turn around by Kimmel's interim replacement, Admiral Pye. Pye took over for Kimmel when he was relieved of his command, and he feared that the rescue attempt would cost the navy more ships that it could afford to lose. Regardless, men aboard the ships could not believe that the force was being recalled and many men contimplated mutiny to keep the task force heading for Wake. Admiral Pye was never to hold another sea command during the war.

The Japanese finally made a successful landing on Wake on December 23. The Marines and civilians, after holding out for two weeks, were now faced with fighting the enemy on land. Despite the fact that they were greatly outnumbered, the Marines and civilians fought like caged animals, and on Wilkes island, actually had the Japanese on the run. However, an overly cautious Commander Winfield S. Cunningham, believing that there was no way to repel the invaders, ordered the island to be surrendered. Upon receiving Cunningham's order from Major Devereux, many of the men believed that a mistake had been made. The Americans had killed many more Japanese than they had lost of their own, and the Japanese that were still on the island were being routed by the Marines. However, the order stood, and the gallant Marines and civilians followed the surrender order and laid down their arms.

After the surrender, the Marines and some of the civilians were loaded aboard a transport ship and moved to POW camps in China and Japan. Some of the civilians remained behind to finish work on the projects that had been started before the war, but now they were working for the Japanese. In 1943, after an American bombardment of Wake, the Japanese commander became so infuriated that he ordered the remaining civilians rounded up and executed. The commander was executed in 1947.

After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Wake islanders were finally allowed to go back to the United States. Some men adjusted to civilian life rather easily, while others struggled with nightmares and physical ailments until they died. But no matter wich group they fell into, these men were heroes. They provided a glimmer of hope for the folks back home during the dark early days of the war, and, by their example, the American people knew then that we would win in the end.

This book offers a fine account of bravery under fire and uncommon valor. The story of Wake's defenders is told in vivid detail, and nothing is left out. Each chapter is ripe with stories of heroics and acts above and beyond the call of duty. From the opening shot on December 8, 1941 until the last man returned home in 1945, John Wukovits covers every aspect of the battle for Wake and the struggle these heroic men faced on a daily basis. Written with grace and conviction, the story of Wake comes alive in this book. I highly recommend this fine work of military history. The contents are fascinating and the story incredible. Read this fine book and learn about some of the first true heroes of World War II.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Top Four Books on the defence of Wake Island!
Review: Pacific Alamo by John Wukovits rates in the Top Four books on the defence of Wake Island. I am the great-nephew of Retired Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Cunningham, then Island Commander, and have collected material and books for over 24 years on the heroic events at Wake Island.

Being a little biased, Wake Island Command, by Winfield Scott Cunningham, published by Little, Brown in 1961, is number 1 in my book. It was written with the assistence of Lydel Sims, but my uncle told me everything in the book was written by him and he took full responsibility for it's contents. He was always a gentleman and always gave high praise for the men (Marine, Army, Navy and civilians) that served under him during the defence of Wake.

Number 2: "A Seige of Wake Island: Facing Fearful Odds, by Gregory Urwin, University of Nebraska Press, 1997 is the next greatest book. His well researched account, using over 70 personal interviews (including an interview with Devereux and Admiral Cunningham), comes the closest in the depiction of the events at Wake Island. The author and I disagreed on only one piont (the trap of December 11th), but everything else is exactly described. He even was able to confirm that the Marine Corp' went out of it's way to 'Blacken' the reputation of Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham to make the defense of Wake Island a strictly 'Marine Affair'.

Number 3: "A Magnificent Fight: The Battle for Wake Island" by Robert Cressman, Naval Institute Press, 1995 is 3rd on my Top Four list. His true to life depiction of the events at Wake Island gives you chills. The 'Devereax/Cunningham Controversy' is fully discused in the appendix and gives a fair and balanced view.

Number 4: "Pacific Alamo" by John Wukovits now rounds out the top 4. His vivid details and personnal interviews bring out the whole truth of the events at Wake Island. I agree with every word of the book (the trap on December 11th was given to Devereux and Cunningham equally) and even the repromand to both leaders for extending the dispute for so long.

These are my picks. I hope you enjoy.

P.S.: Another recent book, "Given Up for Dead" by Bill Sloan should be avoided at all costs. He gives a strictly biased 'opinion' using a 'ghost written' book as his number one source and a magazine article by Peter Andrews in a 1987 issue of American Heritage, which is full of inaccurate statements and used many slanderous, and false statements concerning Commander Cunningham's role during the defence.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Top Four Books on the defence of Wake Island!
Review: Pacific Alamo by John Wukovits rates in the Top Four books on the defence of Wake Island. I am the great-nephew of Retired Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Cunningham, then Island Commander, and have collected material and books for over 24 years on the heroic events at Wake Island.

Being a little biased, Wake Island Command, by Winfield Scott Cunningham, published by Little, Brown in 1961, is number 1 in my book. It was written with the assistence of Lydel Sims, but my uncle told me everything in the book was written by him and he took full responsibility for it's contents. He was always a gentleman and always gave high praise for the men (Marine, Army, Navy and civilians) that served under him during the defence of Wake.

Number 2: "A Seige of Wake Island: Facing Fearful Odds, by Gregory Urwin, University of Nebraska Press, 1997 is the next greatest book. His well researched account, using over 70 personal interviews (including an interview with Devereux and Admiral Cunningham), comes the closest in the depiction of the events at Wake Island. The author and I disagreed on only one piont (the trap of December 11th), but everything else is exactly described. He even was able to confirm that the Marine Corp' went out of it's way to 'Blacken' the reputation of Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham to make the defense of Wake Island a strictly 'Marine Affair'.

Number 3: "A Magnificent Fight: The Battle for Wake Island" by Robert Cressman, Naval Institute Press, 1995 is 3rd on my Top Four list. His true to life depiction of the events at Wake Island gives you chills. The 'Devereax/Cunningham Controversy' is fully discused in the appendix and gives a fair and balanced view.

Number 4: "Pacific Alamo" by John Wukovits now rounds out the top 4. His vivid details and personnal interviews bring out the whole truth of the events at Wake Island. I agree with every word of the book (the trap on December 11th was given to Devereux and Cunningham equally) and even the repromand to both leaders for extending the dispute for so long.

These are my picks. I hope you enjoy.

P.S.: Another recent book, "Given Up for Dead" by Bill Sloan should be avoided at all costs. He gives a strictly biased 'opinion' using a 'ghost written' book as his number one source and a magazine article by Peter Andrews in a 1987 issue of American Heritage, which is full of inaccurate statements and used many slanderous, and false statements concerning Commander Cunningham's role during the defence.

Rating:
Summary: Best Since Ghost Soldiers
Review: This is the best WWII book I've read since Ghost Soldiers. The author bring to life an historical moment in World War II that could be lost as a footnote in history. The men mentioned in the book come to life, and one begins to indetifly with them, so that you want to turn to that last page and find out what became of these heroes after the war. Like Ghost Soldiers, once you pick it up you can't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Best Since Ghost Soldiers
Review: This is the best WWII book I've read since Ghost Soldiers. The author bring to life an historical moment in World War II that could be lost as a footnote in history. The men mentioned in the book come to life, and one begins to indetifly with them, so that you want to turn to that last page and find out what became of these heroes after the war. Like Ghost Soldiers, once you pick it up you can't put it down.