Invitation to a War

Invitation to a War is a young shipyard worker's eye-witness experience of the war in the Pacific, at Pearl Harbor and Guadalcanal. Larry was invited by the Navy Labor Board to work in Hawaii while he took time off from Ohio State University to earn the finances needed for his junior year. On his first Sunday morning in Oahu, he planned to meet with his brother who was stationed at Pearl Harbor. Waiting there at the Navy Yard Dry Dock No. 1, taking in the sights of the harbor and the USS Pennsylvania, the scene changed astonishingly as Pearl Harbor was brutally attacked before his own eyes. His story details the horror of the attack, its aftermath, and the courage and dedication of the survivors working to rebuild. After months of round-the-clock work and with deep concern that the Japanese would attack again soon, Larry used the occasion of his first day off to join the US Army. This time, should the enemy invade, he wanted to be carrying a rifle. Serving in the 25th Division as a forward artillery spotter, he was part of the effort to aid and relieve elements of the 1st and 2nd Marine Corps Divisions at Guadalcanal. Having spent weeks behind enemy lines, his memoirs describe the violent combat, tense missions, camp activities, and life of an American serviceman in World War II. This history celebrates the character, courage, and even the indomitable humor of those who fought.