What did the declassified documents reveal?

Coral & Brass (Gen. Holland M. Smith, Pacific campaign) Released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The document, FMFRP 12-37, is a memoir and analysis of the Pacific island-hopping campaign by Marine General Holland 'Howlin' Mad' Smith. It was published in 1979, a reprint of the 1949 edition, and is now available through The Black Vault. Provenance: The document was released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents, and is available on their website. The canonical PDF can be found at https://www.theblackvault.com/documents/wwii/marine1/1237.pdf. The Document: FOREWORD, April 7, 1989 1. PURPOSE Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP) 12-37, Coral and Brass, is published to ensure the retention and dissemination of useful information which is not intended to become doctrine or to be published in Fleet Marine Force manuals. 2. SCOPE This reference publication is an autobiography of General Holland “Howlin’ Mad” Smith that details his experiences in the Pacific during World War II. This book is written as a tribute to the Marines who served him so gallantly in the Pacific and, more importantly, to point out mistakes made during the island campaigns in order to prevent these errors in future conflicts. 3. CERTIFICATION Reviewed and approved this date. BY DIRECTION OF THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS M. P. SULLIVAN Major General, U.S. Marine Corps Deputy Commander for Warfighting Marine Corps Combat Development Command Quantico, Virginia DISTRIBUTION “TL 3 “ CORAL AND BRASS BY HOLLAND M. SMITH General, U. S. Marine Corps (Ret.) AND PERCY FINCH ZENGER PUBLISHING CO., INC. P.O. BOX 9883 ● WASHINGTON, D.C. 20015 COPYRIGHT, 1948, 1949, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS COPYRIGHT, 1948, BY THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY FOREWORD THE AIM OF THIS BOOK is twofold: first, that due credit be given to a gallant body of men, the United States Marine Corps, who in their path across the Pacific were faithful to their traditions and to their country second, to point out the errors that were committed in World War II in such a manner that they will not be repeated in World War III—God forbid. This is a personalized account of over forty years in the service of my country, culminating in the greatest war in our history. I never kept a diary. I had no official historian at my elbow recording in detail the battles I fought. I was too busy fighting those battles to set down anything in chronological form. Therefore, I find myself largely relying on my memory to compile the story of those forty years. If I have erred in facts, it is due to the momentous times through which I have lived and served. I bear no malice toward any man or any Service. Any criticism in this book is made only for constructive purposes in the light of national defense needs. I am sure that a grateful country will not forget the magnificent efforts made by the Marines in the Pacific for the successful prosecution of the war against…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

Case · DAILY-048

Coral & Brass (Gen. Holland M. Smith, Pacific campaign)

JUL 6 · 2026Narrated by daily-declassified-coral-brass-gen-holland-m-smith-pacific-campaign7 minLast updated July 6, 2026

The short version

Coral & Brass (Gen. Holland M. Smith, Pacific campaign) Released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The document, FMFRP 12-37, is a memoir and analysis of the Pacific island-hopping campaign by Marine General Holland 'Howlin' Mad' Smith.

Date: JUL 6 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)

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What was Coral & Brass (Gen. Holland M. Smith, Pacific campaign) about?: Coral & Brass (Gen. Holland M. Smith, Pacific campaign) Released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The document, FMFRP 12-37, is a memoir and analysis of the Pacific island-hopping campaign by Marine General Holland 'Howlin' Mad' Smith.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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