Leckie takes the ugliness of combat and poeticizes it without glorifying it. He does not spare us the details of the hardship of the fighting Marine, but neither does he wallow in gore and blood. Under his pen, war becomes almost a religious ritual, from the first page with its literal indoctrination into the Faith, until its final heartfelt pages, which seem almost like a confirmation.
The writing as mentioned is quite lyrical and never crass, even when relating the occasionally base antics of the men. A description of inflated condoms being set adrift in a harbor during leave in Australia is akin to poetry. The men are described only by their names (the Soldier, the Kid, Chicken, White-Man) and this is sufficient to keep them solidified in our mind's eye throughout the narrative. Characters appear and disappear and reappear again, yet the reader is never jarred or has to flip back to recall them.
We are taken through not only the direct confrontations against the Japanese, but also the everyday petty (and sometimes very funny) squabbles and dramas usually involving castes (officers and enlisted men, civilians and soldiers - particularly in the chapter `Brig-Rat'). This serves to give us an even greater appreciation of the tribulations of the common troops.
But HELMET... is more than a chronicle of the Marines of Guadalcanal and the Pacific War told from the point of view of the regular combat soldier - it is an encompassing, unapologetic testimony, and an affirmation. Leckie is proud of his service and with good reason. Very moving and important book. Recommended to anyone trying to understand the mindset of the American soldier.