Military glossary
1st Marine Division: The oldest and largest
active duty division of the U.S. Marine Corps. Because of this
history, this infantry division is nicknamed The Old Breed.
5th Marine Division: An infantry division of the
U.S. Marine Corps created during World War II. The division saw its
first action at Iwo Jima in Feb 1945.
Air-cooled machine gun: The Browning M1919 relied
on the air around the barrel to cool it, making for a lighter
weapon than the water-cooled machine gun. Less cumbersome and more
adaptable than the M1917, this gun became the premier suppressive
fire weapon in World War II.
Alligator Creek: A nickname given by local
inhabitants to the Ilu River on Guadalcanal and the site of the
first major Japanese land offensive during that campaign.
Amtrac: Commonly-used nickname for the Amphibious
Tractors Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVTs). Used throughout the
Pacific campaign, these landing craft were modified into assault
vehicles with additional machine guns and light armor plating.
Amtracs were launched from within the hold of the Landing Ship,
Tank (LST).
Banika: An island in the Russell Group, in the
Solomon chain, approximately 60 miles northwest of Guadalcanal. It
served as home to a U.S. Naval hospital facility during World War
II.
Bazooka: A common nickname for the portable
rocket-propelled anti-tank weapon used by American forces in World
War II.
Boot: Military slang for a new recruit or someone
just out of training.
Brig: A prison or other place of confinement
aboard ship or ashore at a Marine Corps or naval station.
Camp Elliott: PFC Eugene Sledge undertook his
weapons training to become a mortarman at this Marine training
camp, located outside San Diego.
Camp Pendleton: Located on the Southern California
coast north of San Diego, Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast
base of the U.S. Marine Corps. The base was established in 1942 to
train Marines for service in World War II.
Cape Gloucester: Site of a Japanese military
airfield on the northwest tip on the island of New Britain. The 1st
Marine Division landed at Cape Gloucester on Dec. 26, 1943 in order
to take the airfield.
Cobber: Australian slang for pal or friend. Widely
adopted by the Marines after their lengthy stay in Melbourne.
Corpsman: An enlisted man in the U.S. Marine Corps
or U.S. Navy trained in giving first aid and basic medical
treatment.
CP: Short for command post, a command and control
centre used by a military unit in a deployed location.
Doggie: Marine Corps slang for an enlisted member
of the U.S. Army, shortened from dog-face.
Dysentery: A disease of the lower intestine caused
by infection with bacteria, protozoa, or parasites and marked by
severe diarrhoea, inflammation and the passage of blood and
mucus.
Eagle, Globe and Anchor: The emblem of the
United States Marine Corps. Introduced in 1868, the symbols
represent American pride, worldwide presence and maritime
tradition, as well as the Marine presence on air, land and
sea.
Enuresis: An involuntary discharge of urine,
especially while asleep. It can be brought on by combat stress,
acute anxiety or physical and emotional trauma.
Flinders Street: A main street in Melbourne,
Australia and the site of that city's transportation hub at the
Flinders Street Station. Its central location made it a common
meeting place for American servicemen stationed there.
Guadalcanal: One of the southernmost of the
Solomon Islands and site of a planned Japanese air base. The
Marines landed unopposed on Guadalcanal on Aug. 7, 1942 to seize
the airfield and protect shipping lanes to Australia.
Gunny: Marine Corps nickname for someone with the
rank of Gunnery Sergeant. Ha-Go tanks The most common Japanese
tank, equipped with light armor, a .37mm gun and two 7.7mm machine
guns.
HE: High explosive, used to describe various kinds
of ordnance.
Henderson Field: The airfield on Guadalcanal. It
was seized by the Marines on Aug. 8, 1942 and named after Maj.
Lofton Henderson, a Marine pilot killed during the Battle of
Midway.
Higgins Boat: A shallow wooden boat with a metal
bow ramp used in several Allied invasions to take soldiers and
Marines straight off a troop transport and onto the beach. Designed
by Andrew Higgins, the boat was officially called the Landing Craft
Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP) by the services. Men entered a Higgins
Boat by climbing down a cargo net hung from the side of their troop
transport.
Hiroshima: The Japanese city on which the United
States dropped the first atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945.
Infantry: Servicepersons specifically trained for
fighting on foot to engage the enemy in face-to-face combat.
Island hopping: American strategy in the Pacific
developed by General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Taking advantage of their growing fleet, which gave them air and
sea superiority, American forces bypassed the most heavily
fortified Japanese islands, outflanked them and cut them off from
resupply or reinforcement, leaving them to wither without requiring
direct attack.
Iwo Jima: A small volcanic island with three
airfields of great strategic importance to the planned air
offensive on mainland Japan. U.S. forces faced stiff Japanese
opposition when they landed on Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945.
LSTs: Short for Landing Ship, Tank, LSTs were big,
slow, flat-bottomed ships capable of crossing the ocean, then
debarking amtracs at sea or grounding at the beach and discharging
tanks or trucks via two bow doors and a ramp.
LVTs: Short for Landing Vehicles Tracked, also
called amtracs. These amphibious tractors were used throughout the
Pacific campaign and launched from within the hold of an LST.
M1 rifle: On Guadalcanal, the Marines were
equipped with the World War I-era boltaction M1903 Springfield.
They were later outfitted with the M1 Garand, considered to be the
best semi-automatic rifle of World War II.
Malaria: An infectious disease caused by a
parasite that is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
Common in tropical climates, the disease is characterised by
recurring chills and fever.
Marion Military Institute: The state military
college of Alabama, located in the town of Marion. Eugene Sledge
was enrolled in officers training at MMI before enlisting in the
Marines.
Medal of Honor (MOH): The highest award that can
be bestowed upon a service member for valor in action. It was
created during the Civil War at the behest of Abraham
Lincoln.
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG): The largest
stadium in Australia and home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. The
MCG housed various Allied forces during World War II, including the
1st Marine Division.
Mortar: A cannon with a relatively short and wide
barrel, used for firing shells at a high angle over a short
distance.
Mortarman: A USMC infantryman who provides mobile
support to riflemen on the front lines using the M252 81mm mortar
or M224 60mm mortar system. Eugene Sledge was part of a 60mm mortar
team, while Sidney Phillips was an 81mm mortarman.
Nagasaki: A large Japanese port city where the
United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Aug. 9, 1945.
NCO: Short for Non-Commissioned Officer, a term
used to describe an enlistee who has reached the rank of sergeant
or corporal.
New River: A Marine Corps training facility in
southeastern North Carolina where John Basilone and Robert Leckie
underwent training before deployment to the Pacific Theatre. The
base at New River was renamed Camp Lejeune in 1942.
Okinawa: An island located only 350 miles from
mainland Japan with a good harbour and room to stage troops, the
perfect jumping-off place for an invasion of Japan. Landings on
Okinawa, site of the last amphibious assault of the war, began
April 1, 1945.
OP: Short for observation post, used to watch
enemy movements and warn of approaching soldiers.
Pavuvu: An island about 60 miles west-northwest of
Guadalcanal. Populated by countless rats and land crabs, this
former coconut plantation was used as a base for the Marines
between campaigns.
Pearl Harbour: A U.S. naval base in Honolulu,
Hawaii. The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7,
1941 prompted the United States entry into World War II.
Peleliu: One of the islands of the island nation
of Palau, deemed of strategic importance to protect MacArthurs
right flank during the retaking of the Philippines. The 1st Marine
Division engaged in a bloody landing on Peleliu on Sept. 15,
1944.
Seabees: U.S. Navy construction battalions that
were part of every landing in the Pacific, helping to transform
conquered islands into facilities vital to the Allied advance such
as airstrips, harbors, hospitals and bases.
Semper Fi: Shortened version of Semper Fidelis,
the Marine Corps motto, meaning always faithful.
Sherman Tank: The most common U.S. tank in World
War II. The M4 Sherman Tank provided invaluable support to the
Marines in the Pacific. Each was equipped with a 75mm gun, two .30
caliber machine guns, and weighed 33 tons.
60mm mortar: The mortar fired by Eugene Sledge.
The M2 60mm mortar fires high explosive and illuminating rounds,
anywhere from approximately 200 to 1,985 yards from the front line.
The tube and base plate form a two-man load weighing 42
pounds.
Solomon Islands: An island chain east of New
Guinea comprising nearly a thousand islands. Guadalcanal is an
island in the Solomons.
Tenaru: A river on Guadalcanal. The Battle of
Alligator Creek is also sometimes called the Battle of the Tenaru,
although the American defensive perimeter was actually set at the
nearby Ilu River.
Tommy gun: Short for Thompson submachine gun, a
hand-held machine gun that was a limited-issue weapon in the
Pacific Theatre.
Tracer fire: Ammunition treated with chemicals to
make it leave a glowing or smoky trail as it flies, enabling the
shooter to follow its trajectory and make adjustments to his aim.
Umurbrogol Hills The highest point in the rough terrain of Peleliu,
where the Japanese constructed a vast system of caves and bunkers
to defend their positions against Allied forces.
USS George F. Elliott: A U.S. Navy transport that
carried troops, including Robert Leckie, to the Pacific in World
War II. After sustaining heavy damage from Japanese planes off
Guadalcanal in August 1942, the Elliott was scuttled.
USS LST-661: A U.S. Navy tank landing ship that
took Marines, including Eugene Sledge, to Peleliu in September
1944.
Water-cooled machine gun: The Browning M1917 heavy
machine gun had a water-filled jacket surrounding the barrel, which
dissipated heat caused from successive firing. The necessity of a
fresh water supply required additional crew members, and the gun,
tripod, water supply and ammunition made for a cumbersome yet
effective system. The M1917 weighed more than 80 pounds and was
capable of firing more than 450 rounds per minute.
