Iwo Jima-Part 3
As I stated earlier, all the guns were trained on the only spot for a landing. The general of the Japanese had studied the D-day landing and was determined to do it differently, his idea was to let the troops land and then kill them on the beach.
The marines were told to develope a relationship with one special person, a buddy, to watch over each other, and work together. The veterans of other battles and landings knew this wasn't going to be fun. Many thought after the Naval and air bombardment for weeks that resistance would be minimal because not much could survive that. They were wrong, the enemy was underground.
70,000 Marines were going to land in waves on the beach. It would take 36 days to "take " the island.
Iwo Jima is 5 1/2 miles long and two miles wide. A car driving 60 mph could cover its length in 5 and a half mins.
The flag raisers were part of 2,000 men assigned to take Mount Suribachi. The rest was to take the rest if the island.
As the landing took place vehicles bogged down in the vocanic sand. Troops began to move inland. All was quiet for a while, then the slaughter began.
In battles up to that time, medics were considered sacred, not fired on, not so with the Japanese, they were special targets, because by killing a medic it was thought that many others would die because they wouldn't be treated and die of their wounds, and the same pertained to makeshift hospitals, and areas where wounded were being placed for transport to hospital ships.
Landing craft hit by big guns were hit and a craft hit, carrying 25 men would simply vaporize, no bodies, no body parts, no metal. Men on the beach would simply vanish where they stood or lay. Progress was slow and hard, the ash would fill in a hole trying to be dug, walking or running was like trying to walk in a pile of corn. Tracked landing craft had to run over wounded lying on the beach, men were shoved to death because of the congestion. Staying in one spot was certain death, and moving was certain death, so they moved. Men mowed down as they left the landing craft. Bodies and body parts were everywhere.
Yet the men kept moving, there were so many acts of bravery, under a mind numbing fear, men throwing themselves on grenades to protect buddies, men trying to retrieve wounded, and being killed in the process or wounded. The only cover being shell holes or trenches and enemy fire on every inch of ground. For a gain of a few yards, 20-30 men would die. Many men were wounded several times, yet kept fighting. Why they were asked afterwords, to help my buddies they would reply. As the wounded were placed by the beach, hundreds, the Japanese would fire at them, many wounded perished on stretchers, and others waited to die as they lay there.
The father of the writer of this book treated many men, held them as they died, until during sometime during the 35 days he was wounded several times also but refused to leave, until weakness and exhaustion forced him to.
His special buddy was captured and tortured, arms broken, teeth knocked out, eyes dugout and beaten. Some time during the process of 24 hours he died. The father(medic) had to go get him from the cave where he was found. His genitals were cut off and stuck in his mouth, something the father would not forget, and the main reason he wouldn't talk about the war afterwards.
To a man, when asked why they did what they did, it was for their friends, buddies, even if they didn't know them.
Finally Surabachi was taken, the American Flag was raised all cheered, ships blew there horns. But there was 30 more days to go. Americans could hear Japanese blowing themselves up underneath them, rather than face death at American hands, or capture.
A wounded Japanese would hold a grenade to himself and blow himself up if an American tried to treat him, so wounded enemy were killed where found.
A boy of fourteen lied to get into the marines, he was severely wounded, had 21 operations to reconstruct the damage, he was the youngest medal of honor winner, and the only high school freshman to recieve it.
As the men advanced, graves registration surveyed the plots, trenches were dug and men buried, wounds and bodies so mangled, the seasoned registers were sickened. One chaplan buried 1800 boys in a few days.
The marines were told to develope a relationship with one special person, a buddy, to watch over each other, and work together. The veterans of other battles and landings knew this wasn't going to be fun. Many thought after the Naval and air bombardment for weeks that resistance would be minimal because not much could survive that. They were wrong, the enemy was underground.
70,000 Marines were going to land in waves on the beach. It would take 36 days to "take " the island.
Iwo Jima is 5 1/2 miles long and two miles wide. A car driving 60 mph could cover its length in 5 and a half mins.
The flag raisers were part of 2,000 men assigned to take Mount Suribachi. The rest was to take the rest if the island.
As the landing took place vehicles bogged down in the vocanic sand. Troops began to move inland. All was quiet for a while, then the slaughter began.
In battles up to that time, medics were considered sacred, not fired on, not so with the Japanese, they were special targets, because by killing a medic it was thought that many others would die because they wouldn't be treated and die of their wounds, and the same pertained to makeshift hospitals, and areas where wounded were being placed for transport to hospital ships.
Landing craft hit by big guns were hit and a craft hit, carrying 25 men would simply vaporize, no bodies, no body parts, no metal. Men on the beach would simply vanish where they stood or lay. Progress was slow and hard, the ash would fill in a hole trying to be dug, walking or running was like trying to walk in a pile of corn. Tracked landing craft had to run over wounded lying on the beach, men were shoved to death because of the congestion. Staying in one spot was certain death, and moving was certain death, so they moved. Men mowed down as they left the landing craft. Bodies and body parts were everywhere.
Yet the men kept moving, there were so many acts of bravery, under a mind numbing fear, men throwing themselves on grenades to protect buddies, men trying to retrieve wounded, and being killed in the process or wounded. The only cover being shell holes or trenches and enemy fire on every inch of ground. For a gain of a few yards, 20-30 men would die. Many men were wounded several times, yet kept fighting. Why they were asked afterwords, to help my buddies they would reply. As the wounded were placed by the beach, hundreds, the Japanese would fire at them, many wounded perished on stretchers, and others waited to die as they lay there.
The father of the writer of this book treated many men, held them as they died, until during sometime during the 35 days he was wounded several times also but refused to leave, until weakness and exhaustion forced him to.
His special buddy was captured and tortured, arms broken, teeth knocked out, eyes dugout and beaten. Some time during the process of 24 hours he died. The father(medic) had to go get him from the cave where he was found. His genitals were cut off and stuck in his mouth, something the father would not forget, and the main reason he wouldn't talk about the war afterwards.
To a man, when asked why they did what they did, it was for their friends, buddies, even if they didn't know them.
Finally Surabachi was taken, the American Flag was raised all cheered, ships blew there horns. But there was 30 more days to go. Americans could hear Japanese blowing themselves up underneath them, rather than face death at American hands, or capture.
A wounded Japanese would hold a grenade to himself and blow himself up if an American tried to treat him, so wounded enemy were killed where found.
A boy of fourteen lied to get into the marines, he was severely wounded, had 21 operations to reconstruct the damage, he was the youngest medal of honor winner, and the only high school freshman to recieve it.
As the men advanced, graves registration surveyed the plots, trenches were dug and men buried, wounds and bodies so mangled, the seasoned registers were sickened. One chaplan buried 1800 boys in a few days.
posted by Reflections at 7:44 AM
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