Ready to go with the USS Rupertus shield behind me. #Mojo
Today my co-author Don and I had the honor to be on WW2TV on YouTube. Paul Woodage is the host of this excellent WWII history channel and we had a great, interactive conversation. And, some good questions arose. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/m7AnIhozLC0?feature=share
This interview and presentation went fast, I could have talked longer about this Old Breed General. Lots to share.
I wanted to follow up on a couple of items I referenced in the talk viewers may find helpful, or interesting.
As I said, this Old Breed General talk is not just about our Marine grandfather, it is an American story about our Marines and military in the Pacific during WWII.
This talk was Marine centric as our grandfather was a Marine.
He was born in 1889, but the majority of this life was with the United States Marine Corps (1913-1945).
I wanted his early career in the book, but for word count, we had to pull back on so much! Including his time as an enlisted member of the Washington DC National Guard, and a graduate of the Revenue Cutters Service Academy, when his life changed and he became an officer in the Marine Corps. And detail on his experience in Peking and Shanghai, China.
In Old Breed General, we dropped the reader on a ship with the 1st Marine Division in the Pacific, in summer 1942. We also bring in the Navy, Army and our Allies who were there.
It’s good.
Alrighty, here some enchanting historical resources I mentioned.
Peleliu:
The Japanese plan to stop the American progress in the Pacific at Peleliu.
Years ago I was thrilled to find this fascinating document online compiled by the US Army in 1946. The Palau Operation: Japanese Studies in World War II Compiled by the U.S. Army’s First Demobilization Bureau. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/Monos/pdfs/JM-49/JM-49 \
I did not mention this in our talk with Paul (along with many good stories) but it makes you want to go, huh, ha, ha? Those aviators! 🙂 Making ice cream over Peleliu while the Marines and Army sweat it out? See “DIY Ice Cream in Wartime.” AIR & SPACE Magazine, August 2018 https://www.airspacemag.com/as-next/cool-side-tropical-warfare-180969515
One person asked me to talk about the toxic relationship with the Army. Did Rupertus not like the Army? Did the Army not like the Marines and vice versa? The simple answer is no. When you research this in depth (or know because you have been in battle) you see how intense it was while they battled the Japanese on Angaur and Peleliu.
I think our grandfather, as General Geigers chief of staff later said, probably felt as a Marine (in the heat of battle), that the Marines could prevail on their mission.
But we are confident it was not toxic because of the letters, photos, telegrams and more between our grandfather and Army generals.
All were focused on getting the job done.
Further, General Rupertus wrote a commendation for the 81st Infantry’s RCT’s work on Peleliu.
The American plan for Peleliu. I mentioned in the planning stage the Army wanted to go ahead on Angaur. Maj. General Julian Smith wanted them to wait. That was overruled.
Who knows, perhaps if we had not even invaded Angaur and Uthili at the same time as Peleliu, it would not have dragged on. But, who could have predicted how embedded and hidden the Japanese were on Angaur and Peleliu?
Thankfully, we now have heat seeking drones and lessons learned should we ever again find ourselves fighting across the vast Pacific.
You can read about this here:
Bloody Beaches: The Marines at Peleliu.
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003137-00/sec7.htm
And here.I referenced this article on the 81st Infantry: https://smithpapers.com/2022/05/30/unsung-heroes-the-81st-infantry-division-wildcats-at-angaur-and-peleliu/
I never met my grandfather. So, to say I am showering him with adoration him is….poof! 🙂
But, boy would I have LOVED to present this research and book to our father.
General Rupertus happened to be our Dad’s father. He also happened to be a Marine legend in our beloved military family, with an unusually fascinating story. So, when the inspiration came from Don Brown to write a book about him for family and history (before it was too late), I took on the challenge.
What our research has done is left me in awe of those who served in WWII, including our grandfather.
Over the years, in my research, I interviewed people who knew our grandfather. I read and synthesized primary source material from diaries, letters, special action reports, and records of events from the National Archives. This data includes his 700-page file from the archives and so much more.
This is what I discovered:
From a young age, our grandfather demonstrated incredible leadership skills and servanthood and experienced war, love, and loss with a stunning tenacity of purpose.
Further, the stories of those who fought WWII deserve more light lest they get lost to time, and we do not have a chance to learn from them. Especially now.
Also, I discovered…
That the narrative some have put out there about General Rupertus that gets repeated like false news is often inaccurate.
See FAQs. And play the true or false game!
https://amyrupertuspeacock.com/faq/
I never met him, but I am thankful I had the time and perseverance to find the answers to my questions on our grandfather. And the truth.
I am grateful that my sisters, husband, Don Brown and many angels of support joined me on this deep dive into the past. And thankful for our publisher and those museums and podcasters helping us share this epic history.
Oorah! Onward.
