I didn't read THE MILLION DOLLAR WOUND, but I read one month
ago another of the Heller series by M A Collins: CARNAL HOURS
(1994), set in july 1943 in the Bahamas islands, and wherein
Nathan Heller refers many times to his war time as a marine.
All along this volume, Collins spread infos about Heller's
life and we learn he was discharged a little less than one
year before the start of Carnal Hours. But, not because he
was wounded but because during a Japanese assault when he was
half buried in a beach he got a panic crisis leading to
psychoses and deep psychological shock. Psychological shock
was the cause of his discharge, and this is repeated more
than once in the book. Maybe he was also wounded (?), but
apparently it's the psychological sequel that was the
official reason for his discharge. Heller repeatedly let know
it took him until approx mid 43 to recover. Maybe this sounds
less glorious than wounded? But not particular, considering
the high number of soldiers that were suffering deep
psychological troubles generated by WW2 (I remember a
documentary made by some official dept which spoke of 20%
amongst American troops).
So, back to Heller: is it Collins mixing up, or what?
E.Borgers Hard-Boiled Mysteries http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384
jimdohertyjr :
>Max Allan Collins's THE MILLION DOLLAR WOUND. A year
or so before
>this book appeared, Edward D. Hoch wrote an article
in which he noted
>that, since the hard-boiled PI figure is so
identified with
>the '40's, it's odd that no book has ever dealt with
the question of
>what private eyes, most of them able-bodied young
men, did during the
>most important historical event of that decade.
Collins answered
>that question with this book. His series PI, Nate
Heller, fresh from
>completing an investigation into labor racketeering
in Hollywood,
>enlists in the Marines in time to fight in
Guadalcanal. Honorably
>discharged after receiving the titular injury in
battle, Heller
>returns home to find that the Hollywood investigation
wasn't as
>complete as he thought.
>
>JIM DOHERTY
>
>
>
>
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