The Ghost Mountain Boys: Their Epic March and the Terrifying Battle for New Guinea--The Forgotten War of the South Pacific

This battle in New Guinea is such an intense story that deserves to be told. With such sacrifice, courage, suffering, and perseverance, this story deserves to be discovered. J Campbell does a really good job of telling their story, the story of the men of the 32nd Inf Div, who suffered and died in New Guinea in the battle for Buna during the early years of WWII. While there are so many books and well known stories on the battles the Marines fought during the battle in the Pacific, it seems that some of the intense stories of the bloody battles of the Army in the Pacific often get overlooked. This is not to take away the well deserved credit the Marines deserve, it is just good that other stories are being told so that others' suffering and sacrifice will not be forgotten. Credit to James Campbell for telling this story, I know he has now increased my knowledge of the war in the Pacific and of others' intense suffering and sacrifice. In my opinion if you give this book a chance, you will in all likelihood come away with a greater appreciation of those who fought in the Pacific.Instead of just regurgitating the story that Campbell so aptly tells of The Ghost Mountain Boys, I will provide what is hopefully some beneficial analysis and insight into the book to help you in making up your mind in purchasing this book.The battle and unit organization was so confusing that it was hard to keep track of the same people and units throughout the book as so many were KIA/WIA or were moved around in eviscerated units. The author does spend time at the beginning of the book in setting the background of so many people in the various units which mostly come from National Guard unit from Michigan and Wisconsin. While Campbell spends much time throughout the book to keep up with the soldiers, the fog of battle seems to get in the way a little in my opinion. To me, this is just a reflection of the war not weak writing. Some of these points are not to take away from the 5 star rating I gave this book, I just want to make honest observations and well formed questions that will hopefully be in your best interest.Unknown to me was the political nature of this battle. While I'll leave the details of the book to the author, I was fascinated to read of General MacArthur's command of this battle. I did not realize just how controversial his command was at that time. Frankly, I would like to have seen MacArthur's role explored a little further. The author did seem to provide adequate background and analysis on the division's commanding generals. Personally, I would like to have seen a little more explored on MacArthur's staff and their regular interactions and influences. That is, as much as would have been possible.Being that I read this as an e-book on Kindle, I was disappointed in the lack of maps of the battle. Perhaps a physical copy of the book would have this better covered, I just do not know. As for the Kindle version, I was disappointed with the lack of maps. Oh well, it was time for me to buy some WWII atlases. To Campbell's credit, he did provide a pretty in depth description of the battlefield and the objectives. For this, I still gave this book a 5 star rating especially considering it is just my personal preference for a bunch of maps.The author did provide some details of the Japanese conditions and objectives. Some of this seemed based on battlefield intelligence. Sadly, this intelligence did not seem to find a way to influence commanders in making key decisions during the battle. The author does a good job of providing this information in a historical context. It seemed that pre-battle intelligence was at a minimum.To wrap up, this author does an excellent job of describing the unfortunate suffering of the US troops. This suffering was just not at the hands of the enemy, but as the this book so clearly makes the point the environment was beyond harsh. I don't seem to have the words to describe just how terrible the conditions were in which the men had to survive. That is why I am recommending that you let that author do that for you.

There is a roadside monument in my area dedicated to the 32nd US Infantry Division. The monument lists all the campaigns the 32nd fought in WW1 and WW2. The Battle for New Guinea (Buna) is among the honors.The 32nd ID was a National Guard outfit recruited in Wisconsin and Michigan. Along with 17 other National Guard Divisions the 32nd was activated for federal service in the summer of 1940 as the war in Europe raged on.Once the US entered the war after Pearl Harbor in December, 1941 it was decided that the US and Great Britain would pursue a "Hitler first" policy which meant the majority of US assets would be routed to Britain for an early cross channel invasion of France.Japanese ambitions in the South Pacific interfered with the policy and the US had to divert Marine and Army units to the Pacific.Since two excellent Australian Divisions were fighting in North Africa in 1942 it became necessary for the US to send an army division to help protect Australia from a possible Japanese invasion. The 32nd was selected for the mission and it fell under General Douglas MacArthur's command who had set up his HQ in Australia after the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese early in 1942.The Island of New Guinea was under Australian jurisdiction and had a small Australian garrison drawn from militia units. The Japanese eyed New Guinea as a place to invade in order to try and cut off Australia from outside help. Some in the IJA thought it might be possible to actually invade Australia once New Guinea was captured.Once the Japanese invaded New Guinea it started one of the most brutal campaigns of World War Two. The 32nd ID was sent to New Guinea with the objective of retaking the island along with the Australians who were already engaged with the Japanese.Here is an entry from the Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell that describes what the Americans and Australians were up against:In 1942, when the 32nd Division arrived in New Guinea, the island was still terra incognito. It's interior was largely unmapped, its coastline a puzzle of coral reefs, its swamps and grasslands a breeding ground for disease, its climate as pernicious as any ever encountered by an army. In New Guinea, MacArthur neglected warfare's most important lesson: The island was his enemy, yet he remained only vaguely aware of the hardships his troops would confront there. (page 73, The Ghost Mountain Boys)The terms Ghost Mountain Boys refers to an infantry battalion of the 32nd ID. Their initial mission would be to hike over the 10,000 foot Owen Stanley Mountains to protect the Australian right flank in the battle for New Guinea.The first part of the book documents through letters, diaries and the official records just how difficult that hike was. As the above quote states the island itself was more the enemy than the Japanese.The 32nd was ill prepared to fight the kind of jungle warfare that would be common in the Pacific in the years to come. More men died or were disabled from a myriad of jungle swamp diseases than would die or be wounded from the Japanese Army.MacArthur, safely from his HQ in Australia was oblivious to the facts and essentially ordered the 32nd to do the impossible without giving them the necessary support. MacArthur relieved officers who he didn't think were aggressive enough totally disregarding the obstacles they had to face fighting both nature and the tenacious Japanese who suffered just as much as the allies did from the unforgiving island. It was the men in the ranks who suffered the most from MacArthur's lack of concern.Campbell includes excerpts from Japanese letters and diaries that give insight to the fact the Japanese suffered as much as anyone else if not more since their supply situation was even worse than ours!The book draws much needed attention to the little known campaign for New Guinea since it began at roughly the same time as the US Marines fought their epic on Guadalcanal. While the American pubic were keenly aware of the Marines plight on Guadalcanal they were largely ignorant of the 32nd's sacrifice on New Guinea.My wife's father was a medic in 1943-44 and served at a rear area hospital in the Australian controlled part of New Guinea. He contracted dengue fever that turned his hair white and affected his nerves. He received a disability from the Army but the effects of New Guinea plagued him until his death in 2000. New Guinea was a help hole even for medics who served in rear area hospitals. Campbell's book helps us remember the sacrifice of the men who served there.

Could not put it down, an excellent account of a rarely covered battle early in the SW Pacific. I'm an avid reader of the war in the Pacific, mainly the Marine Corp but found this book to be one of my favourites. It was educational and I also came away with a new appreciation for what the US army had to endure early on. 4 thumbs up