Chapter 16 Summary

Ishmael Chambers becomes a marine and is eventually assigned to a unit that is to invade the Tarawa atoll. As his unit prepares for the invasion, their commander tells them that the navy will destroy all Japanese resistance before the marines come ashore but the enlisted men are not convinced by their commander's optimism. In fact, on the night before the assault, one of the men in Ishmael's unit tells him to write a letter home in case he is killed in the assault. However, the only person Ishmael can think to write to is Hatsue and the only letter he can write is an angry one. But, instead of keeping the letter close, Ishmael crumples it up and throws it into the ocean.

The next morning, the assault begins and everything falls apart quickly. Almost everyone in Ishmael's boat was killed, leaving...