Tenth Army Commander
The World War II Diary of Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.
Edited by Christopher L. Kolakowski
Casemate, Philadelphia, 2023, 240 pages
Book Review published on: February 16, 2024
When an author/editor takes on the task of publishing someone else’s diary, there is one significant decision they must make. This critical decision is what actions will they take to augment the words of the subject. Some will add little or nothing and consequently, lose the chance to enrich a reader’s experience. Others will contribute far too much, and the subject’s diary turns into an afterthought with the author/editor comments taking top billing. However, there are those select authors whose contributions are unquestionably, added value and greatly enhance the diary. Such is the case with the superb job Christopher Kolakowski has done with the World War II diaries of Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. in Tenth Army Commander.
For many, the name Buckner will not be readily familiar. In fact, in all likelihood, his father, a Confederate general during the American Civil War and Kentucky governor, will be more well-known with those having some interest in military history. However, like many senior leaders during World War II, his contributions and service have been overshadowed by the obvious names. It was service that was not without controversy for decisions and comments he made. With that said, it is prudent to provide a summary of Buckner’s role in World War II to place his diary in proper context.
During the preponderance of the war (August 1940–June 1944), Buckner served as the commanding general for the Alaska Defense Command. In this role, his focus was the protection of the Alaskan people and to ensure the Japanese could not utilize Alaskan land to facilitate attacks on the American West Coast. During his command, the Alaskan Defense Force took back the islands of Kiska and Attu, which were seized by Japan.
In June 1944, Buckner was selected to command the newly stood up Tenth Army. It would be comprised of both Army and Marine Corps units, and Buckner himself would fall under many unique command and control relationships. He was sent to Hawaii to organize the unit and prepare it for an eventual invasion of Taiwan. However, in the coming months, the mission was canceled, and the Tenth Army was told to focus planning on invading Okinawa (Operation Iceberg).
On 1 April 1945, after months of intense preparation, the Tenth Army invaded Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa would turn out to be an incredibly slow and bloody invasion. There are those who contend that the reason for this was choices made by Buckner. However, there are many who believe Buckner made the correct decision based on the current situation and the potential for failure. Ultimately, Buckner’s decision proved to be a successful one when on 22 June 1945, Allied forces held a flag-raising ceremony to mark the end of organized Japanese resistance.
Buckner himself would not be alive to attend the ceremony. On 18 June 1945, he was killed by Japanese artillery. At the time, he was visiting a Marine unit and talking with Marines. Buckner was the most senior American officer (three-star general) killed by enemy fire in World War II and the entire twentieth century. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of four-star general on 19 July 1954 by a special act of Congress.
Buckner began keeping a diary at the beginning of 1944 while in the Alaska Defense Command. The diary was to be utilized by Buckner when he crafted his memoirs in the future. He continued the diary until 17 June 1945 (the day before his death). The diary itself has been available in collections but never published in total until now.
Within the diary, Buckner covers four specific periods in his career. These are his last months of command, his initial months organizing Tenth Army, preparing the Tenth Army for the invasion of Okinawa, and the Battle of Okinawa. Each of these is a separate chapter in the volume. Kolakowski superbly augments these chapters by providing readers with chapters of his own. These include providing a concise look at his life until the start of the diary, a synopsis of the events of 18 June 1945 prior to his death, and his assessment of Buckner’s performance as the Tenth Army commander. These contributions add tremendously to a reader’s understanding of Buckner as a person and as a senior leader.
As you would expect in a diary, Buckner touches on a wide variety of subjects. Obviously, he addresses the day-to-day life events, but the diary is much more than that. Buckner’s diary entries include his views on people up and down his chain of command, his thought process on future battlefield decisions, his feelings on decisions he already made, his analysis on Japanese forces as well as his own forces, and his thoughts on the overall execution of the war. In total, it offers readers tremendous insight on the Battle of Okinawa and on operations in the Pacific theater.
One of the most critical takeaways after reading a diary is what the diary tells us about the person who wrote it. Thus, what does Buckner’s diary tell us about Buckner? I believe several things stand out. First, it affords readers a perspective on how Buckner dealt with the pressures and weight of command during combat. Second, it offers a glimpse into his decision-making thought process. Finally, it provides a perspective on Buckner the man, the husband, and the father. For someone who has been overlooked by historians, this is extremely valuable.
As highlighted earlier, Kolakowski’s contributions to Buckner’s diary are superb and are added value. Chief among these is his own personal injects he inserts following some of Buckner’s diary entries. These injects assist a reader in many ways. These include providing background on an event or a person Buckner has addressed, clarity on something Buckner wrote, and offering an understanding of tactical, operational, or strategic situation at the time of the diary entry. Kolakowski has a great feel of when and what he should inject to add substance to Buckner’s words.
Another key contribution from Kolakowski is the visuals he has added to Tenth Army Commander. These visuals come in two specific areas. The first is seventeen high-quality maps he has inserted tied to the Battle of Okinawa and the Alaska Defense Force fighting for the islands of Kiska and Attu. He has inserted them where they tie-in directly with Buckner’s dairy entries. The other is the forty-four superb photographs Kolakowski has added in the volume. These photographs cover the entire life of Buckner and perfectly supplement the volume’s verbiage. Several of the photographs were provided by Buckner’s son, William.
In summary, Tenth Army Commander is an outstanding volume, which is extremely beneficial for two key reasons. First, it adds significantly to one’s understanding of the Battle of Okinawa and to the operations of the Alaska Defense Command. Second, it provides readers with an opportunity to become acquainted or to greatly improve their understanding of Buckner. The combination of the words of Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. and the contributions of Chrisopher Kolakowski make this one of the best World War II diaries I have read.
Book Review written by: Lt. Col Rick Baillergeon, U.S. Army, Retired, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas