The Silent Second: The Biography of Martin Capages, Captain USMC is a personal history of a U. S. Marine officer in the Second Marine Division from his enlisted service before World War II, the battle for Okinawa, and with the First Marine Division in Korea. It includes a look into the life of a typical Marine Corps brat from a child’s point of view.

This is the story of career Marine, a proud member of the Second Marine Division during World War II who also served in the First Marine Division in Korea. It includes some detail on an important assignment successfully completed by the Silent Second in World War II with little fanfare. That was the initial intent of this biography, written by the son of that Marine, which begins at the final stages of planning for Operation Iceberg, code name for the Battle for Okinawa. While there is an overwhelming amount of documentation on this battle, in particular, the role of the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions’ and the Army’s action at Okinawa, the Silent Second’s role is a footnote in history. This book is intended to correct that oversight and honor those of the Silent Second who gave their all on 1 April 1945.