Phantom Warrior: The Heroic True Story of Pvt. John McKinney's One-Man Stand Against the Japanese in World War II

Just finished this unique, deep work, intending to read all of this gifted man's works! As a child of a WW2 Veteran, and a University History Major, lifelong reader, this gifted man's work provides for me an insight of History and its effects on us all. This work gives us a deeper insight into both side involved in the INSANITY of WAR, with the realization of the true necessity of why we must at times FIGHT for what is Rightous in our world!

As the wife of one of John R. McKinney's great-nephews, I found this story very interesting. I learned so much about this quiet man of very few words. It is an honor to share his last name. He is truly an American Hero. I would have read and loved this book even if I didn't personally know the man. World War II is my favorite part of history. Now my children can say their family shared in this history.

Well researched and written book. Got to know JR McKinney rather well and understood his character and attitude. A rather common, uncommon man. It is hard to believe he came out without a wound in his one man stand. Yet I do accept it did happen as written. I was also amazed how much training and how long it took his unit to become engaged in combat. I would have liked to read a little more about the early occupation of Japan. He was indeed the "Phantom Warrior."

Forrest Johnson tells the story of an American who rose to the occasion when faced with overwhelming enemy forces. But his book is more than a biography. Besides J.R. McKinney's incredible story, Johnson explains the World War II campaign in the Philipine Islands in a detailed and informative manner. The book gave me a much better understanding of the operational and political realities that affected the War in the Pacific. In this and his other books, Johnson demonstrates an ability of explaining dynamic and complex history from the perspective of individual soldiers thousands of miles from home, in a very unfamiliar and alien locations. I look forward to more from this author. Very nicely done, Mr. Johnson.

On May 11, 1945, at a remote outpost in the Phillipine Islands, approximately 100 Japanese infantrymen attacked a machine gun position. At the time Pvt. John McKinney was comfortably resting. One of the soldiers in the first wave of attackers struck Pvt. McKinney on the head with a saber. The glancing blow served only to awaken McKinney. As McKinney fought off his assailant, his two comrades manning the machinegun left (one soldier dragging off the other who had been wounded). Left alone, McKinney took on the company of Japanese soldiers in a battle of wills, courage, and heroics that almost defies description, including jumping into the machinegun emplacement to recapture the position (and gun), shooting over half a dozen Japanese at pointblank range, and killing several more with the butt of his rifle. What ensued next, a running battle by McKinney with the remainder of the squadron of Japanese attackers -- who tried to root him out or kill him with repeated assaults by rifle, machine gun, grenades, mortars, and hand to hand combat -- until he was relieved is almost too amazing to believe. Indeed, McKinney is thought to have killed over 100 Japanese in less than an hour but, because his story was just too incredible, the actual kills were reduced and his Medal of Honor citation only credits him with killing 40 Japanese soldiers singlehandedly in repulsing this attack. This book tells the life story of this amazing man. It is excellent reading for anyone interested in World War II, especially the battles in the Pacific.

"Battle is composed of individual sagas of men, who may have once had high ideals, like love of family and country. Combat reduces all of that to one instinct - destroy and survive." The above quotation, is from this amazing book, and should be kept in mind as you read it. This is the life story of "CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR" recipient, John R. McKinney. (J.R.). His life story is broken down into basically four segments: The first segment is his life, from birth to enlistment in the Army for World War II. Some people might have described J.R. as a common man, but I don't think that would be accurate. To me, a common man, is average in education, financial standing, and living environment. I think it would be more precise, to describe J.R. as a poor, rural country boy, with a 3rd grade education. He was the son of a "one-horse" sharecropper. J.R.'s Father's, plan, to have sons, that could help with the farming, hit a bump in the road, when J.R. became sickly, and could not perform the strenuous tasks on the farm. Because of this, J.R. was taught to fish and hunt, for the sole purpose, of feeding his family. A very telling statement made to J.R. by his Father said it all: "Fishing and hunting, is only a sport for rich people " J.R. spent most of his time alone out in the swamps, barefoot, fishing, and hunting with a homemade sling shot. About the only time he wore shoes, is when he went to church. He became so proficient with his sling shot, that he had enough fish, squirrels, and rabbits, so that he could sell some to the local general store. The shop owner, then made a deal with J.R. wherein, he would lend him a rifle for a year, to use, in return for any food, that was over and above, what the family needed. And so, started, J.R.'s remarkable relationship with rifles. The second segment, is all the time, between J.R.'s enlistment in the Army, and his actual, historical, award -winning battle, at Dingalan Bay in the Philippines. This is the one part of the book that slows down a little, because it includes, literally, a step by step, history lesson, of our battles with Japan in the Pacific, that J.R. was not involved in. The third segment, is the battle, (I am purposely not revealing a lot of detail here ) in which J.R., in one, thirty- odd minute battle, singlehandedly, utilizing M1 rifles, machine guns, rifle stock, bayonet's, trench knives, fists, and feet, killed over one hundred Japanese soldiers. This is, while being shot at, at point blank range, attacked with sabers, had hand grenades, thrown at him, mortars, launched at him, and bayonets thrust at him.( NOTE: There is no way, on God's green earth, that any Hollywood movie, could be made ,of this scene, that anyone would believe, unless they read this book.) The fourth segment, is his life after his release from the Army, as a national hero, up through his death. I know of no better way, to end this review, but to quote, what President Truman, said to J.R., at the White Hous