The Ghost Mountain Boys - James E. Campbell [165]
Eichelberger pays tribute to the 32nd in his book.
In their essay “MacArthur’s Fireman,” Jay Luvaas and John Shortal discuss what Eichelberger learned at Buna.
At Hollandia in late April 1944, Eichelberger and his men had a chance to put much of what they’d learned into action. The landings went off without a hitch and the Americans pushed forward, seizing the Japanese airfields in five days. General Marshall described the operation as a “model of strategical and tactical importance.” Eichelberger enjoyed the same success at Biak a month later. Using the lessons he learned at Buna, he eschewed a frontal asault on Japanese positions. Instead he sent troops in behind, a maneuver that probably spared hundreds of American lives.
Notes on New Guinea’s natives are from Powell’s The Third Force, John Waiko’s A History of Our Time, and numerous interviews with Buna villagers. The Keith McCarthy quote is also from The Third Force. Like Australia, the U.S. government has not compensated the carriers or their families.
Sam DiMaggio’s post-Buna history is from “I Never Had It So Good.” Details in the Gus Bailey profile are from interviews with Katherine Matthews and from Wendell Trogdon’s book. Paulette Lutjens provided me with the information on her father, Paul Lutjens. Herbert Smith discusses his later life in his three books. The details of Alfred Medendorp’s life were provided by his son, Alfred Jr. Herman Bottcher’s story is from interviews with soldiers who fought with him in the Philippines and from Mark Sufrin’s article, “Take Buna or Don’t Come Back Alive.”
Leslie Anders writes at length of General Harding’s life after Buna.
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