title: Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II Through Iraq
author:  John C. McManus 
description: The author of the fine history of the 7th Infantry Regiment returns with another demonstration of his skill at narrating infantry combat. He offers a historical retrospective, contrasting different types of battle in which American grunts have been engaged. We have the easy victory on Guam in 1944, against poorly-organized Japanese, and the bloody slugging match against dug-in Japanese on Peleliu. The battle for the German city of Aachen in 1944 features the free and decisive use of superior American firepower, while more recently in Falujah, Iraq political constraints added to our casualties. Similarly, the Marine Combined Action Platoons are contrasted with larger and often less-effective operations. The book is clearly intended as an argument for a strong presence of well-trained infantry operating up close and personal with heavier firepower available as support but not substitute. Both readable and persuasive. --Roland Green
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  ## Chapter 1
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  The JGSDF’s Special Region Expedition Force formed two
  
  
  long columns of combat and supply vehicles, and they advanced along
  
  
  the gravel road.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The coarse tires of the heavy trucks filled the air with
  
  
  dust, drawing a veil over Arnus.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Said dust blackened the skin where it mixed with the sweat
  
  
  beading it, and it was hard just to keep their eyes
  
  
  open.
  
  
  
  
  
  However, the men were in high
  
  
  spirits.
  
  
  
  
  
  They held their rifles and faced forward, their backs held
  
  
  ramrod straight. Their combat boots pounded with broad strides, and
  
  
  the servicemen were filled with energy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Everyone present understood that the upcoming battle would
  
  
  probably be the last one they would fight against the
  
  
  Empire.
  
  
  
  
  
  “After this, the war’ll be over.”
  
  
  “After it’s done, we can all go
  
  
  home.”
  
  
  “We’ll stop them once and for
  
  
  all.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Everyone had their own thoughts on the matter, and their
  
  
  own reasons to fight. It fuelled their fighting spi