Robert Leckie (author)
United States Marine and writer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Hugh Leckie (December 18, 1920 – December 24, 2001) was a United States Marine and an author of books about the military history of the United States, Catholic history and culture, sports books, fiction books, autobiographies, and children's books. As a young man, he served with the 1st Marine Division during World War II; his service as a machine gunner and a scout during the war greatly influenced his work.
Robert Leckie | |
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| Nickname(s) | "Lucky", "Peaches" |
| Born | December 18, 1920 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 2001 (aged 81) Byram Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | 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 "V" Device |
| Other work | Writer |
Leckie's war memoir, Helmet for My Pillow, along with Eugene B. Sledge's book With the Old Breed, formed the basis for the HBO series The Pacific (2010), the follow-up series to Band of Brothers. In the miniseries, Leckie is portrayed by James Badge Dale.
Early life and education
Leckie was born on December 18, 1920, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to an Irish Catholic family of eight children. He grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey, and attended St. Mary High School.[1]
Early career and military service
He began his career as a writer in high school, as a sports writer for The Bergen Evening Record in Hackensack, New Jersey.[2] On January 18, 1942, Leckie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.[2] 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, inclduding the Battle of the Tenaru, and the Battle of Cape Gloucester in 1942-1943. He was wounded by a blast concussion in the Battle of Peleliu in 1944. Due to his wounds, he was evacuated to an army field hospital in the Russell Islands. He returned to the United States in March 1945, and was honorably discharged shortly thereafter.[3]
Military decorations
Leckie's decorations include:
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| 1st row | Purple Heart Medal | ||
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| 2nd row | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V" | Navy Combat Action Ribbon | Navy Presidential Unit Citation with award star |
| 3rd row | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze campaign stars | World War II Victory Medal |
Later career
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.[2]
According to his wife Vera, in 1951 Leckie was inspired to write a memoir after seeing South Pacific on Broadway and walking out halfway through it. 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 wrote more than 40 books on American war history, spanning from the French and Indian War (1754–1763) to Desert Storm (1991).[6]
Personal life
He married Vera Keller, and they had three children. Vera died in 2024 aged 100.[7]
Death
A longtime resident of Byram Township, New Jersey,[8] Leckie died on December 24, 2001, six days after his 81st birthday, 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.[9][10]
Books
Military history books
- March to Glory. World Publishing Co. 1960. LCCN 60011454. OCLC 2851705.
- Conflict: The History of the Korean War, 1950–53. Da Capo Press. 1996 [1962]. ISBN 0-306-80716-5.
- Strong Men Armed: The United States Marines Against Japan. Perseus Publishing. 1997 [1962 (Random House)]. ISBN 978-0-306-80785-5.
- Challenge for the Pacific: Guadalcanal, the Turning Point of the War. Doubleday. 1965. OCLC 1295146.
- Challenge for the Pacific: The Bloody Six-Month Battle of Guadalcanal. Doubleday & Company. 1968. ISBN 0-306-80911-7.
- Delivered from Evil: The Saga of World War II. Harper & Row. 1987. ISBN 0-06-015812-3.
- None Died in Vain: The Saga of the Civil War. Harper Perennial. 1990. ISBN 0-06-016280-5.
- The General. I Books. April 2, 2002 [1991]. ISBN 0-7434-4461-2.
- George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution. Harper Collins. 1992. ISBN 0-06-016289-9.
- From Sea to Shining Sea: From the War of 1812 to the Mexican-American War, the Saga of America's Expansion. Harper Perennial. 1994. ISBN 0-06-016802-1.
- Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II. Viking Press. 1995. ISBN 0-670-84716-X.
- The Wars of America: From 1600 to 1900. Harper Collins. 1998. ISBN 0-06-012571-3.
- A Few Acres of Snow: The Saga of the French and Indian Wars. Wiley & Sons. 2000. ISBN 0-471-24690-5.
- Warfare: A Study of War
Autobiography
- Helmet for My Pillow. Random House. 1957. LCCN 57010028. OCLC 2538164.
- Lord, What a Family!. Random House. 1958.
Catholic history
- These Are My Heroes: A Study of the Saints
- A Soldier-Priest Talks to Youth
- American and Catholic
Fiction books
- Ordained
- Marines!. Bantam Books. 1960. LCCN 60012809.
- The Bloodborn
- Forged in Blood
- Blood of the Seventeen Fires
Books for younger readers
- The Battle for Iwo Jima. New York: Random House. 1967. ISBN 1-59019-241-9.
- The Story of Football. Random House. 1965.
- The Story of World War Two
- The Story of World War One
- The War in Korea
- Great American Battles. Random House. 1968. LCCN 68023671. "Summary: A review of America's major wars, from the French and Indian War to the War in Korea, with emphasis on eleven important battles: Quebec, Trenton, New Orleans, Mexico City, Chancellorsville, Appomattox, Santiago, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Normandy, and Pusan-Inchon."[11]
- The World Turned Upside-Down
- 1812: The War Nobody Won
- The Big Game
- Keeper Play
- Black Treasure. Simon & Schuster. 1959. OCLC 7712167. (Sandy Steele #1, as by "Roger Barlow")
- Danger at Mormon Crossing. Simon & Schuster. 1959. OCLC 7712176. (Sandy Steele #2, as by "Roger Barlow")
- Stormy Voyage. Simon & Schuster. 1959. OCLC 40166247. (Sandy Steele #3, as by "Roger Barlow")
- Fire at Red Lake. Simon & Schuster. 1959. OCLC 7712190. (Sandy Steele #4, as by "Roger Barlow")
- Secret Mission to Alaska. Simon & Schuster. 1959. OCLC 7712190. (Sandy Steele #5, as by "Roger Barlow")
- Troubled Waters. Simon & Schuster. 1959. OCLC 7712156. (Sandy Steele #6, as by "Roger Barlow")
See also
Notes
References
External links
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