The best novel I ever read was Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer.
Yes, I mentioned The Thin Red Line and I also read Whistle. The characters in all three books are the same with slightly changed names. There are even characters based on Jones himself in all 3 books. I also recommend Go To The Widowmaker by Jones which is considered the best book (despite the lame ending) about skin diving ever written. There is even a Widowmaker's cave underwater near Jamaica named after the novel. BTW, I did a lot of research on all of the characters of Go To The Widowmaker and most of them were based on real people. It was fascinating. Apparently Jones had a sexual relationship with his older female mentor who had a big fight with his new wife just like in the novel. One difference though. The fight took place at his mentor's writer's colony in Illinois, not in Jamaica as in the book. It almost cost Jones his marriage. Oh, and his real wife's uncle, was a colorful guy in Pennsylvania who was the basis for a character in a John O'Hara novel.