Robert Leckie (author)

This article is about the military historian Robert Leckie. For information about the Canadian aviator, see Robert Leckie (aviator).
Robert Leckie
Nickname(s) "Lucky"
Born (1920-12-18)December 18, 1920
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died December 24, 2001(2001-12-24) (aged 81)
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service 1942–1945
Rank Private First Class
Unit How Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Purple Heart
Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device
Other work Writer

Robert Leckie (December 18, 1920 – December 24, 2001) was an American author of books on United States military history, fiction, autobiography and children's books. As a young man, he served in the Marine Corps with the 1st Marine Division during World War II. His service as a machine gunner and a scout in the war greatly influenced his work.

Early life and career

Leckie was born on December 18, 1920, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a family of eight children. He grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey. He began his career as a writer in high school, as a sports writer for The Bergen Evening Record in Hackensack, New Jersey.[1]

On January 18, 1942, Leckie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.[1] He served in combat in the Pacific theater, as a scout and a machine gunner in H (How) Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (H/2/1). Leckie saw combat in the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Cape Gloucester, and was wounded by blast concussion in the Battle of Peleliu. Due to his wounds, he was evacuated to an Army field hospital on the Pavuvu Islands. He returned to the United States in March 1945 and was honorably discharged shortly thereafter.[2]

Following World War II, Leckie worked as a reporter for the Associated Press, the Buffalo Courier-Express, the New York Journal American, the New York Daily News and The Star-Ledger.[1] He married Vera Keller, a childhood neighbor, and they had three children: David, Geoff and Joan.[3] According to Vera, in 1951 he was inspired to write a memoir after seeing South Pacific on Broadway and walking out halfway through. He said "I have to tell the story of how it really was. I have to let people know the war wasn't a musical."[4] His first and best-selling book, Helmet for My Pillow, a war memoir, was published in 1957.[5] Leckie subsequently wrote more than 40 books on American war history, spanning from the French and Indian War (1754–1763) to Desert Storm (1991).[6]

Robert Leckie died on December 24, 2001, after fighting a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. He was survived by his wife of 55 years, his three children, two sisters and six grandchildren. His remains were entombed at St. Joseph's Mausoleum in Newton, New Jersey.[7][8]

Leckie's war memoirs, Helmet for My Pillow, along with Eugene B. Sledge's book With the Old Breed, formed the basis for the 2010 HBO series The Pacific, the follow-on series to Band of Brothers. He was portrayed in the miniseries by James Badge Dale and Vera was portrayed by Caroline Dhavernas.

Books

Military history

Autobiography

Belles Lettres

Fiction

Younger readers

'According to World Catalogue, Ref: http://www.worldcat.org/title/secret-mission-to-alaska/oclc/7712193&referer=brief_results Robert Leckie, writing as 'Roger Barlow' also wrote six juvenile boy adventure books called "The Sandy Steele" series, three available at Gutenberg.org' Ref: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/45761

Awards and decorations

Leckie was entitled to campaign participation credit ("battle stars") for Guadalcanal-Tulagi Landings, Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea Operations, Cape Gloucester New Britain, and Capture and Occupation of the Southern Palau Islands (Peleliu).

Medals and ribbons

V
Bronze star
Silver star
Purple Heart Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Ribbon w/ Combat V Presidential Unit Citation / 1 star
American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with w/ 5 campaign stars World War II Victory Medal

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Leckie Biography, All Media Guide.
  2. ↑ "Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific: Robert Leckie: 9780553593310: Amazon.com: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  3. ↑ "Robert Leckie - The Pacific". Awesomestories.com. 2010-02-21. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  4. ↑ Sarah Rice (2010-02-21). "HBO series illuminates N.J. Marine's book on World War II experience | NJ.com". Blog.nj.com. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  5. ↑ Booknotes, Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II, Transcript of Interview with Robert Leckie, 3 September 1995
  6. ↑ Interview with Brian Lamb, 1995.
  7. ↑ "Hbo The Pacific Premiere In Raritan". Blacktiemagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  8. ↑ "Obituary". The New York Times. December 27, 2001. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  9. ↑ "Full Record of Great American battles (1968; Leckie, Robert)". Library of Congress Online Catalog. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

References

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