Beyond Pearl Harbor

War makes no exception for rank…. Rookies become veterans in one day

The war in the Pacific was fought on a smaller level than its counterpart in Europe. Americans were largely untrained for jungle fighting. Learning by doing was fatal in some instances. Americans fought disease, suffered under intense heat, and faced a resourceful and unpredictable enemy that was willing to die for their emperor.

Beyond Pearl Harbor tells the story of one company in the 32nd Division as it battles through the jungles of New Guinea, to the mountains and valleys of the Philippines, and on to the eventual occupation of Japan itself. Often deemed secondary to the war in Europe, its munitions were sometimes outdated, its supplies often scarce, and replacement personnel insufficient. Places never heard of became places not forgotten. This is the story of men thrown together that differed in interests, education, and outlook. Yet these ordinary men often did extraordinary things.