Authors and Books

            Our Detachment was truly honored to have Col. Bruce F. Meyers, J. D., USMC Retired as our guest speaker at our Charter Presentation ceremony 29 October 2005 . He and his lovely wife, Jo, appeared at the event early. Col. Meyers' was very well dressed in his Dress Blues and was found seated at the cake presentation table graciously autographing his latest book, Swift, Silent and Deadly:  Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance in the Pacific 1942-1945. With Col. Meyers verbal consent, "Bruce Meyers, an experienced reconnaissance Marine officer, paints a colorful and accurate picture of the special recon landings that preceded every major amphibious operation in the Pacific during World War II. Credited with saving countless lives, the Marine scouting missions went in stealthily at night from submarines, PT boats, Catalinas and high-speed transports. Swift, silent and deadly, they landed on more than two hundred enemy beaches from Guadalcanal to Tarawa , Iwo Jima and Okinawa , collecting intelligence on potential landing sites. They measured water depths, charted coral heads, gathered soil samples, sought out enemy locations and took photographs. In short, they obtained information vital to the success of American operations in the Pacific.

        With this book, World War II Marine recon landings are chronicled for the first time--only in later wars have their contributions been fully documented. Here, Meyers explains the start of it all, letting readers appreciate the courage and daring of these intrepid Marines as they slipped over the sides of their rubber boats and made their way inland.

REVIEWS

"This book is the story of amphibious reconnaissance, how it began, how it developed, and how, during World War II, it became the instrument of our national military capability, preceding every major amphibious landing in the Pacific." --from the forward by Gen. James L. Jones, Jr., USMC, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe/Commander, U. S. European Command, 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps

"Colonel Meyers introduces us to the origins of modern naval special warfare and force recon with style and accuracy. Bravo Zulu!" --Charles D. Melson, Chief Historian, United States Marine Corps

"A gem of a book ... The Recon Marines were a breed apart. They were brave, innovative and successful. They wrote the book on amphibious reconnaissance. Today's Recon Marines came from this study stock." --Lt. General Bernard E. Trainor, USMC (Ret.), author of The Generals' War:  The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf

"A masterful and most welcome survey of the Recon Marines who risked their lives to gather pre-D-Day intelligence on enemy defenses and hydrographic conditions during the Pacific War. Whether scouting Tinian stealthily by nights or swimming ashore under heavy fire in broad daylight at Iwo Jima , the Recon Marines rendered heroic and invaluable service to the fleet and its landing force." --Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.), author of Storm Landings:  Epic Amphibious Battles of the Central Pacific

BIOGRAPHY

"BRUCE F. MEYERS joined the U. S. Navy in 1943 at the age of seventeen and was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant two years later and given command of a combat swimming platoon in the Pacific. Following service in Korea, he was appointed officer in change of the Amphibious Reconnaissance School at Coronado, California, working for legendary Chesty Puller. Trained as a parachutist and diver, Meyers later formed and commanded 1st Force Recon Company and became landing force commander of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. As a colonel in Viet Nam, he commanded Special Landing Force Alpha and then the 26th Marine Regiment.

        Meyers retired from the Marine Corps in 1970 after twenty-eight years of service and entered the practice of law as a trial attorney in Seattle, Washington. Later, he became an associate dean and an associate professor at the West Coast Law School. He is also the author of Fortune Favors the Brave:  The Story of First Force Recon, also published by the Naval Institute Press."