40 Thieves on Saipan

Every day the ranks of our WW2 veterans grows just a little thinner. Soon, the last of these great men and women will be laid to rest. Many stories, untold, will also go with them.
That was the case with the 40 thieves. The Marine Scout sniper platoon led by Lieutenant Frank Tachovsky was called Ski's forty thieves. They were a collection of Marines not unlike the soldiers portrayed in "The Devil's Brigade". LT Tachovsky recruited his men from the Brig.
When Frank passed away, his son Joseph discovered a treasure trove of his father's memorabilia. research led him to the few remaining men of the Platoon. Their story is his book.

While the Allies defeated Nazi Germany on May 7, 1945, it would take another three months of intense combat in the Pacific theater to bring an end to World War II. In June of that same year, Allied forces arrived on the island of Saipan, which was long considered to be the last line of defense for Imperial Japan—putting mainland within striking distance of U.S. B-29 Superfortresses.
In time for the 75th anniversary of the signed surrender of Imperial Japan, a new history book details how an elite platoon of U.S. Marines fought behind enemy lines on the islands, and how their undercover operations would prove critical to ending the war. MORE