The Norman Magnon Digital Library
Sergeant Norman Magnon encapsulated the spirit and dedication that is commonly found amongst men who survived the Hell that was the Pacific Theater. Norm served as a member of B Company of the First Amphibious Tractor Battalion at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu. Norman enlisted in January 1942 and worked his way up to become a Non-commissioned officer, transporting countless Marines to the beach in his Amphibious Tractor on Peleliu. He eventually returned home as a man affected by his experiences, but he never let them change the man he was at his core. He built an incredible life and family back home in Connecticut with his wife, Olive, after the war. Norman sadly passed away in 1988, but his character and dedication have been carried on by the rest of his family, including his granddaughter, who continues to carry on his memory through her dedication to researching and preserving not only her grandfather's history, but the history of Peleliu and all of those who fought there. Norm cared deeply for his comrades and would want their story told with as much accuracy and intentionality as possible, which is why we are honored to name this facet of our collection in his honor.
Over the past decade we have gathered countless photos, documents, and other original resources that shed light into many of the lesser-known parts of the battle. We hope this section will allow you to gain a more in-depth understanding into what actually happened on Peleliu.
Photographs
Thousands of photographs were captured during The Battle of Peleliu. We will be sharing our entire collection of both Official as well as Private photographs from the battle.
Documents
This will serve as a repository for After Action Reports, Muster Rolls, Casualty Lists, and other official documents relation to The Battle of Peleliu.
Interview Database
Over the past 4 years we have scoured the internet and compiled a list of over 100 interviews with Peleliu veterans.
Reading List
From Eugene B. Sledge's Classic With The Old Breed to one-off privately published memoirs, here we will document every memoir we have been able to find from veterans of Peleliu.