Fox, George Summary and Analysis

Chapter Fox, The Canal, is about Guadalcanal. The author arrived at Guadalcanal only after the combat there had ended. He found the island marred by destruction but a "vision of beauty, but of evil beauty" (p. 160). The jungle dominated the island and the stench of rotting vegetation was pervasive. Insects, particularly biting insects, were omnipresent. Other animal dangers—sharks, snakes, leeches, scorpions—were common. The story of the Marine Corps assault on Guadalcanal—the first major US amphibious operation of World War II—is related. The Marines were landed from ships to shore largely by Higgins boats. They were armed with weapons and equipment from Great War vintage. American amphibious techniques were primitive and American skill and knowledge was very new and raw. The attack used a typical methodology—the beach was shelled by...