Code Talker Warfare Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Total madmen, the Banzai terrified U.S. troops all through the war. Each Banzai was a one-man suicide mission, intent on getting himself killed while taking out as many enemy combatants as possible. (12.102)

Those Japanese have pretty creepy ways of getting to the Americans. Here, we get a sense of the tactics the Japanese used not only to kill the Americans, but also to terrify them.

Quote #5

During a lull, we could look around and see the guys who weren't going to last. They began talking to themselves in a steady stream, and their eyes focused where there was nothing to see. (13.2)

War isn't just a physical battle, it's a psychological battle. And a lot of the men lose the second, if not the first fight. What's worse, being hurt physically or going crazy?

Quote #6

We'd been warned about the crocodiles, which were plentiful and mainly active at night […] they were even more chilling when the animal tried to crawl into your foxhole. (13.56)

We'd think that the Marines have enough on their plates dealing with the Japanese enemy. But no: they have to deal with a hostile tropical environment. Who'd want to wake up in a foxhole with a crocodile snuggling up next to them? Exactly no one.