Islands of the Damned

Archival Summary & Scope

*Islands of the Damned* offers an eyewitness account of the brutal fighting in the Pacific War, told from the perspective of R.V. Burgin. A young Texan who volunteered for the Marine Corps, Burgin enlisted at age twenty and rose from private to seasoned sergeant, serving in a mortar squad. His raw narrative details the harrowing realities of combat, from jungle ambushes and determined enemy resistance to devastating banzai attacks. This book provides a vivid and unforgettable portrayal of the Pacific War's infernal reality through a Marine's direct experience.