[marktwain]

My friend George (Tex) Ferguson gathered intellegence behind the lines on Saipan before the invasion. I recall him telling me that he reported that the Japanese troops there were some of the biggest people he had seen. He told me that the higher ups disregarded his information. It turned out that the Island was guarded by the Emperors personal guards, who were partly chosen for their size.

I understand that it was a very tough fight.

[School of Rational Thought]

The marines really took a beating the first two weeks. They were abandoned by the Navy when they were drawn off. Then the biggest banzai charge of the war came after them. My dad wasn’t on the island until the third week. One story he told me was going into the jungle with 27 one day and only coming out with five others.

The Japanese used to really chop up the US servicemen into small bits.

My dad and pretty much everyone else thought that Mexican guy who took prisoners (and recently received the MOH) for it, was a real prick for doing it.