"To some, the word "Marine" conjures up the image of a grizzled infantry-man moving half-crouched through the jungle - helmet strap dangling, rifle in hand, grenades fixed to the belt, and a uniform that offers grim testimony to untold days spent rooting out the enemy. To those who served on warships, the word evokes the image of the sentry outside the captain's door - clean-shaven, ramrod straight, belt and shoes glistening, and a uniform with creases sharp enough to cut paper.

The Marine is both of these and more. He might also be a cook, carpenter, clerk, fighter pilot, truck driver, or mechanic. William Richard (Bill) White, the subject of this book, was a telephone wireman, but first and foremost, he was a Marine.".

"This book puts you down in the mud with Bill and the other men of the 1st Marine Division who landed on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942. Shot at from the land, air, and sea, and dog-tired from lack of sleep, they carried on as they had been trained to do. The Marine tells the story of that first battle, when young Bill spent five months laying new telephone lines and repairing damaged ones. With the help of his doctor, Ben Wofford, it also tells the story of his last battle - with cancer."--BOOK JACKET.