AN ESSENTIAL READ ON MILITARY LOGISTICS!Pacific Express is recognized as
required reading on the subject of military logistics, appearing on both the
Marine Corps Commandant’s Professional Reading List and the
1st Marine Logistics Group Reading List.In the Author’s Words"I’ve dedicated Pacific Express
to the men and women—military and civilian—who served in logistical support roles during WWII. Their efforts were proof that warfare is not just about frontline combat but also about the vital logistics that sustain those at the front." – William L. McGee
PACIFIC EXPRESS is Volume III in the
Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII series.
Under one cover, award-winning WWII historian
William L. McGee presents a compelling, edited collection of works by leading military historians, shedding light on the
critical role of logistics in the Pacific theater.
Consider this: Victory may be won or lost in battle, but all military history shows that adequate logistics support is essential to the winning of the battle. During World War II,
16.1 million men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, for every individual combatant, there were ten supportive personnel both overseas and on the home front. (Source: Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Record Administrator)
In the Author's Words"I felt compelled to honor all the men and women – military and civilian – who served during World War II in logistical support roles for the front line combatants: ship builders, advance bases and floating service squadrons, Naval Transportation Service, Navy Seabees, Marine Corps Engineers, Merchant Marine, Naval Armed Guard, Army Transportation Corps, and Coast Guard. I believed these non-combatant service personnel were (and are) often overshadowed by those who served in combat." - William L. McGee
Key components of the "Pacific Express" included:- U.S. Navy Seabees & Marine Corps Engineers – Built the advanced bases that made Pacific operations possible.
- U.S. Navy Crews – Operated amphibious forces and mobile service squadrons across the Pacific.
- U.S. Merchant Marine & Naval Armed Guard – Manned and defended thousands of cargo ships, transports, and tankers to "Deliver the goods!"
- U.S. Army & Civilian Transportation Corps – Played a crucial but often overlooked role in operating the Army’s fleet.
- U.S. Coast Guard – Crewed hundreds of long-haul vessels and countless amphibious landing craft.
Book Details- Foreword by Dennis R. Blocker II, Pacific War Historian, USS LCI National Assn.
- 560 pages
- 111 B&W photographs, 7 maps, 21 figures/tables/charts
- Appendix, notes, bibliography, & index
Other Titles in the SeriesVol. I, The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft
Vol. II, The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific War Turning Point
Award-winning World War II military historian William L. McGee's writing career spans six decades. He has written 22 books, including five WWII military histories.
PACIFIC EXPRESS: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF MILITARY LOGISTICS IN WORLD WAR II (Volume III in McGee's acclaimed Pacific war series AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC IN WWII) is on the Marine Corps Commandant's Professional Reading List for required reading on Logistics for all active duty and reserve Marines, officer and enlisted.
THE SOLOMONS CAMPAIGNS, 1942-1943 (Volume II in the series) won the Military Writers Society of America 2018 Silver Medal Award for History.
McGee is a veteran of both WWII and Operation CROSSROADS, the postwar atomic bomb tests at the Bikini Atoll in 1946. He recounted his Crossroads experience in OPERATION CROSSROADS - LEST WE FORGET! AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT, BIKINI ATOMIC BOMB TESTS 1946, published in June 2016 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Crossroads.
