Red Blood, Black Sand

Fighting Alongside John Basilone from Boot Camp to Iwo Jima

By: Chuck Tatum

Narrated by: Norman Dietz

In 1944, the U.S. Marines were building the 5th Marine Division - also known as “The Spearhead” - in preparation for the invasion of the small, Japanese-held island of Iwo Jima. . .

When Chuck Tatum began Marine boot camp, he was just a smart-aleck teenager eager to serve his country. Little did he know that he would be training under a living legend of the Corps - Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone, who had almost single-handedly fought off a Japanese force of three thousand on Guadalcanal.

It was from Basilone and other sergeants that Tatum would learn how to fight like a Marine and act like a man - skills he would need when he hit the black sand of Iwo Jima with thirty thousand other Marines.

Red Blood, Black Sand is the story of Chuck’s two weeks in hell, where he would watch his hero, Basilone, fall, where the enemy stalked the night, where snipers haunted the day, and where Chuck would see his friends whittled away in an eardrum-shattering, earth-shaking, meat grinder of a battle.

This is the island, the heroes, and the tragedy of Iwo Jima, through the eyes of the battle’s greatest living storyteller, Chuck Tatum.

©2012 Chuck Tatum (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"In my judgment no combat veteran's memoir is better . . . and only a handful are equal." Stephen E. Ambrose

Iwo Jima Tatum

This is an excellent first hand account of a Marine veteran who fought on Iwo Jima during the first 14 straight days of combat. His sacrifice was shared by many who died on that island, including John Basilone. This is a must read for WWII buffs, especially of the Pacific Theater, alongside the works of Sledge, Leckie, and Burgin. If only more would have written down their stories for us to learn from and honor.

Greatest Generation

The Pacific Theater is finally getting its due. That’s not to say the European theater is not as important but, these stories must be told and passed on. I hope they will always be. Nicely done.

Action point of view on Iwo Jima

I wanted to understand combat on Iwo Jima, from one who had been there. This has it, the perspective of a member of the 5th division, a machine gunner, who landed in one of the red landing zones.

Riviting!

Could not get through it fast enough. To hear the story from someone who was there was truly amazing. God bless all those who have served in those front lines or sea battles.

Excellent, detailed account

Full of wit, humor, and detail, a personalized, almost familial account of a brutal period in U.S. and Japanese history.