More from the Cutting Room floor

I never knew that it would take so long after the book was written to finalize everything. Do you know the book was completed on December 31st, 2010? Anyway, not much has been cut, but here is an excerpt that didn't make it. I thought it would share it with my friends here.

By the way, the thought now is that the book will be called:

Killing is Easy: The Real Pacific War with a Marine Riflemen in K/3/5

There is the world you know, and there’s the world you don’t know.

I’m at a bar in Jamaica, Queens, and the war is finally over. And I’m steadily beating the hell out of this guy on the barroom floor—just one fist right after the other into this clown’s face.

The thing is, I never wanted to hurt this guy, or anybody else in the world. Yet, inexplicably, the world always ends up forcing your hand—changing the scenery between the world you know, and the one you don’t. Sometimes, you’re just having a nice quiet drink, by yourself, and some mook comes up and punches you right in the jaw. He thinks he has you dropped; but you surprise him by staying on your feet.

So, now this guy is taking a real licking, and he’s on Okinawa with me, though he can’t fathom how he got there, or why. He asked to be there by throwing that first punch. You asked to be there by opening the first chapter. Now, you have the opportunity to look around your life and ask yourself if everything you hold dear, is in the real world, or is it in the one we began building on a foundation of Japanese skulls and bloody dungarees.

Because, to tell you the truth, I don’t feel very good about polishing off this jerk, in the middle of some crappy bar. But if this is what it takes to wash off the last stink of Okinawa, then I’ll take you, me, this sh!thead, and everyone else who cares to come along, through the final days of a war without end, just so we can come out on the other side of freedom.

The funny thing about right now, though, is that you never knew you’d be fighting in a war that ended days ago…months ago…sixty-five years ago…

But, now that you’re here, you can bet your ass we won’t be staying long.


Sterling G. Mace

 

I must say, with all due respect Mr. Mace, this is the most powerful piece from your manuscript that I've read on WW2F.

 

"He thinks he has you dropped; but you surprise him by staying on your feet." Sweet, glad this guy didn't drop you..
As you said, the "mook", is that like a mope (?), "changed circumstances". Great style, Mr. Mace and I can't see why they would cut that great passage...... How do you like the title? I know you had earlier thought of a different title; so I'm wondering how you feel about it?

Richard

 

Thank you, Richard. A Mook is like a knucklehead or an idiot. It's just a bit of street language we'd sometimes use in Queens when I was growing up if you wanted to sound tough. Or maybe not even tough, but you just didn't want to use a stronger word. In writing the book - for the most part - the real strong language, as we spoke in the Marine Corps was/is reserved for conversations, instead of the text, itself. And it's not as if the publisher or my co-writer didn't like this part, it's just that in the end it really didn't fit with what we wanted to do in the final narrative.

To answer Spitfire's question, I haven't really shown anyone the real good stuff yet, or the combat...no more than a few lines here or there, because I don't want to spoil anything. So as it gets closer to the date, and once some things were cut, I'm letting a bit more out. Perviously posted excerpts are just kind of setup pieces. I was in show business for nearly 30 years, so I know how to work a crowd. haha.

As for the title, I've enjoyed floating the titles out there as they've come up. I also didn't know I would meet so many friends on the web pages; so you guys have been a good sounding board. I like this title. They were looking for something that really stands out if it's sitting on the shelf, and I think that does it. It's a funny thing about killing a man in wartime. Most vets will tell you it is easy, or it becomes easy. I never had a problem with it, because if by killing I stayed alive, or my buddies stayed alive, it became the easiest thing in the world. Anyone will tell you that if it's between you and somebody else, you pull that trigger quick and you don't think about it. Thinking about it too much is what gets a man in trouble.

On the other hand, no life should ever be discarded so easily. But what are you gonna do? Take a bullet to the head because you feel bad for the other sap? Nah, that's not how it works. Killing is easy.

Sterling G. Mace

 

Thanks Mr. Mace,
I like the title too but I wanted to get your opinion about that, as the author, first, to show respect. Your rationale and explanation make perfect sense, can't feel bad for a sap who is trying to fill you full of lead, and it does jump.
Oh, good one.....keep working the crowd, Sir! Thanks for writing.
Richard