Author: Mike Guardia

Mike Guardia, author of American Armor In The Pacific, served in the United States Army as an armor officer on active duty for six years (2008 thru 2014) and then in the Reserves. (2020, inside back cover) Mr. Guardia is a graduate of the University of Houston. (BA and MA History).

American Armor In The Pacific begins by introducing you to the M3 Stuart and the M4 Sherman tanks that were first used in the Pacific Theater during WWII. “…the M3Stuart and the M4 Sherman tanks fought a ferocious enemy who was prepared to fight to the death. Pitted against the battle-hardened forces of Imperial Japan. American tank crewmen nevertheless defeated the Rising Sun with a primitive fury.” (2020, introduction) 

On page 11 (2020) he dives into The Evolution of Japanese Armor where Guardia says “At the outset of WWII, neither the U.S. nor the Japanese possessed a well-developed armor corp.” From there we are given information about how the tanks became mass-produced by the Japanese and what battles they were used in, as well as, how they fared. Guardia introduces the “Tankette” which “…was a tracked, armored vehicle similar to tank, but lacking the main gun firepower and armored protection of a traditional tank.” (p.13) To which he further recognizes them as the Type 94 and compares it to the Tankette 97 Te-Ke, the Type 89 Medium Tank Chi-Ra, the Light Tank Type 95 Ha-Go, Medium Tank Type 97 Che-Ha, and the Light Tank Type 98 Ke-Na.

Mike writes about the beginning of American Armor to which he states “The story of American armor began in the latter days of WWI, when the U.S. joined the Allied cause in April 1917.” (2020, p.19) And then adds, “To fulfill the needs of its wartime ranks, the U.S. Army solicited recruits for the Tank Corp by visiting college campuses and farm communities across the nation. The idea behind this recruiting strategy was to enlist (a) bright young thinkers and (b) men who had had experience operating heavy machinery in outdoor environments.” 

From here we get into serious tanks and armor. There is discussion about the automobile manufacturers assisting in this development and design phase, I.e. Marmon-Herrington developed the Light Tank Series or CTLS. Once in production and use these crafts spawned a variety of other military equipment for the Army, Navy, and Marines that broadened the ability and capacity of their divisions, battalions, and regiments to prosecute wars like never before. For instance, the LVT Alligator or “Swamp Gator” was a vehicle devised by inventor Donald Roebling that served as a rescue lorry that could function in marshy lands not reachable by boat or other means of transportation. (paraphrase, p.29) The M3 Half-track Gun Motor Carriage is another piece of equipment derived from these early tanks. 

This book is filled with actual pictures of the tanks, their crews, and other equipment and maps of the battles where they were used and how they fared against our enemies. One of our most loved tanks was the M4 Sherman. Beginning on page 62 there is a lot of history on this particular tank and the battles she prevailed in or simply held her own. Guadia says this tank was nicknamed “ Lucky Legs II” by the 129th infantry regiment when she fought in the Bouganville Campaign in 1943. Of course, we were not always so lucky. There were deaths, but far fewer than some of those we fought against. 

If you are a veteran of any of our wars, a history buff, or lay person you will find this book enlightening and engaging. The right equipment can be a game changer and make us a more menacing opponent. I enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot about how our military vehicles came into existence and how bravely these men fought our foes aborad so we can remain land of the free.