Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific

Chapter 7 chronicles three distinct phases of Leckie’s experience in the Pacific: his psychological breakdown on Pavuvu, his recuperation at a naval hospital, and the devastating Battle of Peleliu.

The chapter opens with Leckie and his unit stationed on Pavuvu Island, which served as their rest area between combat operations. Rather than providing genuine respite, Pavuvu became a source of profound demoralization. The island presented terrible living conditions: Marines battled omnipresent mud, rat infestations, contaminated water supplies, and deteriorating equipment. They conquered the mud through backbreaking labor but found the rats and bats unconquerable, creating an environment of futility and frustration.

The most crushing blow came when military leadership announced a rotation system that would allow some Marines to return home. This decision initially sparked hope among veterans who had already served extensive combat tours. However, the selection process excluded any Marine with disciplinary infractions, regardless of their combat record or length of service. Leckie found himself among those barred from consideration due to past minor violations, creating what he describes as a devastating sense of injustice. This arbitrary system divided the unit into those deemed worthy of home leave and those condemned to continue fighting, destroying unit cohesion and morale.

Facing this crushing disappointment and experiencing worsening symptoms of enuresis (bedwetting), Leckie sought medical attention that resulted in his transfer to a naval hospital on Banika Island.