Norman Mailer of 112th RCT HQs and Recon Platoon passed away on Saturday 10 November 2007.
I've heard a number of opinions regarding Mailer, but all I know is how he spoke of the Regiment when I interviewed him two years ago. I can tell you that in the last years of his life he was proud of his service with the 112th.
Always at war with those in authority around him, he had a great respect for men who were the real thing. Generally disliking the officers in the RCT, he did, however, have a great deal of respect for a few of them. "Lieutenant Horton and Colonel Hooper were two good officers....They began to change my opinion of officers for the better."
Regarding his introduction to the 112th as he sailed on the Monrovia toward Luzon, he had this to say:
"The journey was uneventful, but it was the first time we had come face to face with the Texans, who were the core of the unit. They were tough men...We would watch as they would sit on the deck of the ship honing their bayonets or knives. They would sit on the deck honing their bayonets for hour after hour with a dull glaze over their eyes. They were cold, hard men...A lot of them were sick--the Texans who remained. Most all of them had jungle rot of one sort or another. They spent hours painting sores with methiolate and things like that, particularly on the boat. I remember that. Everybody had digestive troubles and bowel troubles. Diarrhea was just prevalent. None of us were that strong; we weren't in great shape. The Atabrine was taking a lot out of us."
He went on to say that his time with the 112th was a humbling experience because he truly wanted to be a good soldier. "Unfortunately," he admitted, "almost everyone in my squad could do things so much better than I could."
In the end, he seemed genuinely proud of his time with the 112th and wanted me to pass on his best wishes to the Regiment at the next reunion. I did so.
Till the next post, Norman
Glenn T. Johnston
I've heard a number of opinions regarding Mailer, but all I know is how he spoke of the Regiment when I interviewed him two years ago. I can tell you that in the last years of his life he was proud of his service with the 112th.
Always at war with those in authority around him, he had a great respect for men who were the real thing. Generally disliking the officers in the RCT, he did, however, have a great deal of respect for a few of them. "Lieutenant Horton and Colonel Hooper were two good officers....They began to change my opinion of officers for the better."
Regarding his introduction to the 112th as he sailed on the Monrovia toward Luzon, he had this to say:
"The journey was uneventful, but it was the first time we had come face to face with the Texans, who were the core of the unit. They were tough men...We would watch as they would sit on the deck of the ship honing their bayonets or knives. They would sit on the deck honing their bayonets for hour after hour with a dull glaze over their eyes. They were cold, hard men...A lot of them were sick--the Texans who remained. Most all of them had jungle rot of one sort or another. They spent hours painting sores with methiolate and things like that, particularly on the boat. I remember that. Everybody had digestive troubles and bowel troubles. Diarrhea was just prevalent. None of us were that strong; we weren't in great shape. The Atabrine was taking a lot out of us."
He went on to say that his time with the 112th was a humbling experience because he truly wanted to be a good soldier. "Unfortunately," he admitted, "almost everyone in my squad could do things so much better than I could."
In the end, he seemed genuinely proud of his time with the 112th and wanted me to pass on his best wishes to the Regiment at the next reunion. I did so.
Till the next post, Norman
Glenn T. Johnston
