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thedrifter
10-26-07, 07:15 AM
'I knew I had to walk in their footsteps'
Author tells of soldiers' grueling World War II journey through New Guinea

October 26, 2007
By RON PAZOLA Staff Writer

Usually only the men and women directly involved in combat know the full horrors of war.

And many times these former soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen keep their experiences bottled inside them.

Adventurer and author James Campbell refused to let that happen with the 32nd Division - a group of U.S. soldiers, mostly from Wisconsin and Michigan - who made a grueling trek across New Guinea during World War II.

Campbell talked about the 32nd Division, sometimes known as the Ghost Mountain Boys, Oct. 18 at the First Division Museum at Cantigny in Wheaton. The talk was part of Cantigny's monthly "Dates with History" series.

Some of the men who listened to Campbell that evening fought in World War II and were stationed in New Guinea with other divisions at the time.

Campbell, a Wisconsin resident, discussed his new book, "The Ghost Mountain Boys," which chronicles the 32nd Division's horrific march across 130 miles of disease-ridden swamp, jungle and mountains in 1942. The soldiers got their nickname from their crossing of Ghost Mountain, one of the eeriest mountains on their trip.

In his book, Campbell also writes about his experiences retracing the entire length of the trek in 2006.

"To do justice to the soldiers of the 32nd Division, I knew I had to walk in their footsteps," he said.

He did so against the advice of those who warned him that the trip would be suicidal. One former soldier described parts of New Guinea as occupying the lowest rung of hell.

"My book is not for the faint of heart," he warned his audience.

Campbell first found out there was a World War II land battle in New Guinea when he and his brother visited Papua New Guinea in 1989 for "the adventure of their lives."

A few years later, Campbell and his new wife returned to Papua New Guinea. It was then he learned about the soldiers of the 32nd Division. He was determined to tell their stories and traveled across the U.S. as he interviewed 60 former Ghost Mountain Boys.

During his talk, Campbell also showed scenes from the yet-to-be-released documentary film on his trip that followed the footsteps of the 32nd Division.

During the trek, Campbell endured unbearable heat through swamp and jungle. Leeches covered his body. At one point, he fell head over heels down a mountain and injured his knee. "It was no longer a question of whether I would be able to finish the trip," he said. "It was a question of whether I was going to live."

He recuperated in the village of a primitive tribe and miraculously completed his trip.

"After I reached my destination, I was able to party and drink beer," Campbell said, his voice wavering, his words coming out with difficulty, "But when the Ghost Mountain Boys reached their destination, they were physically shattered and still had to go directly into combat. Many of them didn't survive. I knew I had to tell their stories so people wouldn't forget."

Contact Ron Pazola at rpazola@scn1.com or 630-416-5283.

Ellie