Robert Hugh Leckie (December 18, 1920 – December 24, 2001) was a
United States Marine and an author of books about the
military history of the United States, Catholic history and culture, sports books, fiction books, autobiographies, and children's books. As a young man, he served with the
1st Marine Division during
World War II; his service as a machine gunner and a scout during the war greatly influenced his work.
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 it. 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."[3]
He married Vera Keller, and they had three children: David, Geoff and Joan.[6]
Death
A longtime resident of
Byram Township, New Jersey,[7] 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.[8][9]
Great American Battles. Random House. 1968.
LCCN68023671. "Summary: A review of America's major wars, from the French and Indian War to the War in Korea, with emphasis on eleven important battles: Quebec, Trenton, New Orleans, Mexico City, Chancellorsville, Appomattox, Santiago, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Normandy, and Pusan-Inchon."[10]
The World Turned Upside-Down
1812: The War Nobody Won
The Big Game
Keeper Play
Black Treasure. Simon and Schuster. 1959.
OCLC7712167. (Sandy Steele #1, as by "Roger Barlow")
Danger at Mormon Crossing. Simon and Schuster. 1959.
OCLC7712176. (Sandy Steele #2, as by "Roger Barlow")
Stormy Voyage. Simon and Schuster. 1959.
OCLC40166247. (Sandy Steele #3, as by "Roger Barlow")
Fire at Red Lake. Simon and Schuster. 1959.
OCLC7712190. (Sandy Steele #4, as by "Roger Barlow")
Secret Mission to Alaska. Simon and Schuster. 1959.
OCLC7712190. (Sandy Steele #5, as by "Roger Barlow")
Troubled Waters. Simon and Schuster. 1959.
OCLC7712156. (Sandy Steele #6, as by "Roger Barlow")
^"HBO series based on Byram man's war story", New Jersey Herald, March 6, 2010. Accessed February 23, 2022. "One night in 1951, Robert Leckie and his wife Vera stepped out to see the musical South Pacific.... The Byram writer and his memoir are the main focus of the HBO miniseries The Pacific, debuting March 14."