Have you been watching 'The Pacific?'

If the answer is yes, you’re becoming familiar with E. B. Sledge. His Okinawa Marine uniform is on display in the new George H. W. Bush Gallery!

For anyone who is not familiar with the name, he was a remarkable man. E. B. Sledge is author of With the Old Breed: at Peleliu and Okinawa and a former Marine. Ken Burn’s documentary The War was based partly on Sledge’s book. He was assigned to Kilo Company, 3^rd Battalion, 5^th Marines, 1^st Marine Division and served as a Private First-Class on Peleliu and Okinawa in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Originally he served as a 60mm mortar man but when the fighting grew too close for mortars to be effective he provided rifle fire and served as a stretcher bearer. His book was drawn from his notes that were taken throughout his time in the Pacific in his copy of the New Testament. Sledge was discharged from the Marine Corps as a Corporal in February 1946.

E. B. Sledge’s book is available at the Nimitz Bookstore, the Bush Gallery Museum Store and through our online store -http://www.nimitz-bookstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=nimitz&Product_Code=6245&Category_Code=bk-bio

And, just a reminder, episode five airs Sunday night on HBO.