Fightin' Marines #24

When American Marines storm the beaches of Saipan—a heavily fortified Japanese stronghold in the Marianas—inexperienced Corporal Olsen Swanson and his buddy Needles find themselves in the thick of brutal combat from the moment their landing craft hits the reef. With thousands of Japanese troops dug in and ready to fight to the death, the Marines must claw their way off the exposed beach and hold their ground against relentless counterattacks. Swanson's baptism by fire tests whether raw courage and quick learning can overcome his combat jitters in one of the Pacific War's most pivotal battles.

Clinker Carney, the regiment's toughest fighter, gets his broken nose surgically rebuilt into a handsome new face—and becomes so vain protecting his looks that he refuses to fight anyone, even the enemy. When combat erupts and his squad desperately needs him, Carney discovers that his newfound vanity comes with a heavy price, forcing him to choose between his appearance and his duty to his unit.

PFC. Cleve Davis has always doubted himself—he's convinced he's a coward, but before anyone can confirm it, he's shipped north to the Korean trenches where his platoon relieves a combat-weary outfit bracing for an imminent Communist attack. When the bugles sound and the assault comes, Davis discovers that action itself has a way of overriding fear, forcing him to confront what he's really made of in the heat of battle.

Jack Harmes is a Marine who'd rather fight on his feet than dig in, and when his unit lands at Iwo Jima, his habit of staying mobile and aggressive catches the attention of his officers—especially after he takes out a Japanese machine gun nest single-handedly. When ordered to dig foxholes with the rest of the men, Harmes chafes at the defensive duty, but a volunteer patrol into the jungle reveals why caution matters: he discovers a massive enemy ammunition cache hidden in caves beneath the island.

Cpl. Vince Beatty and Sgt. Joe Pesko can't stop fighting each other—their constant clashing puts them at odds far more than any enemy ever could, even as they prove themselves formidable Marines when the Reds attack. When their feud finally boils over during a rest period, a captain's decision forces them to confront what their real priorities should be.