Robert Leckie (author)


Robert Leckie was an American author of books on United States military history, sports, fiction, autobiographies, and children's books. As a young man, he served in the United States Marine Corps with the 1st Marine Division during World War II; his service as a machine gunner and a scout in the war greatly influenced his work.

Early life and education

Leckie was born on December 18, 1920, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to an Irish Catholic family of eight children. He grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey.

Early career and military service

He began his career as a writer in high school, as a sports writer for The Bergen Evening Record in Hackensack, New Jersey. On January 18, 1942, Leckie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in combat in the Pacific theater, as a scout and a machine gunner in H Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division.
Leckie saw combat in the Guadalcanal Campaign and the Battle of Cape Gloucester, and was wounded by blast concussion in the Battle of Peleliu. Due to his wounds, he was evacuated to an army field hospital in the Pavuvu Islands. He returned to the United States in March 1945 and was honorably discharged shortly thereafter.

Military decorations

His decorations include:

Later career

Following World War II, Leckie worked as a reporter for the Associated Press, the Buffalo Courier-Express, the New York Journal American, the New York Daily News, and The Star-Ledger.
According to his wife Vera, in 1951 Leckie was inspired to write a memoir after seeing South Pacific on Broadway and walking out halfway through. He said, "I have to tell the story of how it really was. I have to let people know the war wasn't a musical."
His first and best-selling book, Helmet for My Pillow, a war memoir, was published in 1957. Leckie subsequently wrote more than 40 books on American war history, spanning from the French and Indian War to Desert Storm.

Personal life

He married Vera Keller, a childhood neighbor, and they had three children: David Leckie, Geoff and Joan.

Death

Leckie died on December 24, 2001, six days after his 81st birthday, after fighting a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. He was survived by his wife of 55 years, his three children, two sisters, and six grandchildren. His remains were entombed at St. Joseph's Mausoleum in Newton, New Jersey.

Legacy

Leckie's war memoirs, Helmet for My Pillow, along with Eugene B. Sledge's book With the Old Breed, formed the basis for the HBO series The Pacific, the follow-on series to Band of Brothers. Leckie is portrayed in the miniseries by James Badge Dale; Vera is portrayed by Caroline Dhavernas.

Books

Military history

Autobiography

Belles Lettres

According to World Catalogue, Robert Leckie, writing as "Roger Barlow", also wrote six juvenile boy adventure books called "The Sandy Steele" series; three are available at Gutenberg.org.