585 Raids and Counting : Memoir of an American Soldier in the Solomon Islands, 1942-1945

After receiving his draft notice on March 5, 1941, 21-year old Alex Kunevicius harbored dreams of joining George Patton's First Armored Division. Instead, he was placed in a noncombat Army Ordnance Company and taught to repair weapons, an assignment in which he initially saw little glory. After Pearl Harbor, however, he and his fellow technicians proved indispensable by keeping American guns firing during the invasion of island after island in the South Pacific. In this memoir, Kunevicius recounts his experiences as an ordnance man, from the ocean voyage to the Pacific Theater to years fighting heat and disease as his unit provided critical maintenance for assaults on Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, and other targets while withstanding endless air raids and shelling. His recollections offer a vivid portrait of life behind the lines and reveal the enormous value of support positions to the war effort. After Pearl Harbor Alex Kunevicius And His Fellow Technicians Proved Indispensible By Keeping Guns Firing During The Invasion Of Islands In The South Pacific. In This Memoir, Kunevicius Recounts His Experiences As An Ordnance Man. His Recollections Offer A Portrait Of Life Behind The Lines And Reveal The Enormous Value Of Support Positions To The War Effort-- A Letter From The President : Fort Knox, Kentucky -- December 7, 1941 : Trip To The Sea -- Australia -- New Caledonia -- St. Joseph's Cathedral -- Company On The Move -- Guadalcanal -- Lieutenant Ben Rabin And Men Arrive -- Christmas Day -- A Hand Grenade That Flies -- Company Split Up -- Sasavele Island First, Then New Georgia -- Kolambangara -- New Caledonia Again -- I See Land. Alex Kunevicius. Includes Index. Cover 1 Table of Contents 8 Preface 10 1. A Letter from the President 12 2. December 7, 1941 18 3. Australia 40 4. New Caledonia 46 5. St. Joseph’s Cathedral 65 6. Company on the Move 74 7. Guadalcanal 83 8. Lieutenant Ben Rabin and Men Arrive 105 9. Christmas Day 118 10. A Hand Grenade That Flies 139 11. Company Split Up 148 12. Sasavele Island First, Then New Georgia 159 13. Kolambangara 167 14. New Caledonia Again 175 15. I See Land 185 Index 204 In this memoir, the author recounts his experiences as an ordnance man, from the ocean voyage to the Pacific Theater to years fighting heat and disease as his unit provided critical maintenance for assaults on Guadalcanal, the Soloman Islands, and other targets. His recollections offer a vivid portrait of life behind the lines and reveals the enormous value of support positions to the war effort. "After Pearl Harbor Alex Kunevicius and his fellow technicians proved indispensible by keeping guns firing during the invasion of islands in the South Pacific. In this memoir, Kunevicius recounts his experiences as an ordnance man. His recollections offer a portrait of life behind the lines and reveal the enormous value of support positions to the war effort"-- Provided by publisher