Iwo Jima battle veterans pay tribute to war dead

Stars and Stripes Pacific edition ^ | March 11, 2006 | Fred Zimmerman

[investigateworld]

My (now deceased father) in law, went ashore in the first wave. He was 15 years of age at the time. He saved his battle map, apparently the only guy to do so.
It's now aboard the Helicopter Carrier Iwo Jima.

A few years before he died, I got him an M1 (Grand Rifle), so he could show off his shooting skills even at 69 years. Hella of a guy.

[Travis McGee]

Awesome!

[opbuzz]

Gen Snowden was formerly known as Col Snoddy, before his name change. His son , Capt Snoddy, was my OSO.

Col Charlie Waterhouse, the famous USMC arist, is also a Iwo vet along with Gen Barrow. They were the only Iwo vets on active duty in 1980.

Semper Fi

[Cap'n Crunch]

I hear that Clint Eastwood is going to make a movie, may be coming out this year, based on the book "Flags of our fathers" written by Corpsman Bradley's son.

I like a line from the book that says something to the effect of "The Japanese fought for the Emperor and that made them formidable. The Marines fought for each other and that made them invincible."

Semper Fi

[condi2008]

Ditto. Thank God for men like your father, investigateworld.

[Dubya]

LE1 - THE SECOND MARINE DIVISION STORMING THE SEA WALL AT TARAWA NOV. 20, 1943

I have this one displayed on the wall of my office.

WATERHOUSE

[Dubya]

FAREWELL TO IWO JIMA

[Mind-numbed Robot]

The people that complain about Iraq should look at some of the fights the Marines had in the Pacific island campaign.

The people who complain about Iraq have no interest in facts or comparisons. Their purpose is distortion and deception.

[Bender2]

Iwo Bump!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

My dad was there with an Army construction company. He missed all the fighting.

My uncle, too. He drove graders and other heavy earth moving equipment to build the airfields and clear the jungles. The fighting was still going on while they were working on some of the islands.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Anyone here have any stories from there? or relatives with some good stories. Would love to hear them...

No stories but I had another uncle who was a Marine. He joined a year before Pearl Harbor and intended to stay in after the war but his mother and sisters kept begging til he relented and got out.

He was all over the Pacific but would never talk about it. When asked what he did he said he was a typist and didn't do anything. I never believed it and later read several things that said that was typical of those who had seen the worst.

When he returned he would often take his rifle, his cot, and several fifths of whiskey and go spend a week or two in the swamp by himself. He lived until his seventies but died an alcoholic.

[Bender2]

Iwo Bump #2

[mdittmar]

He was all over the Pacific but would never talk about it.

That's the sad part,my dad was an Aviation Machinist's Mate.

He didn't tell me that,I found it in a old news clip of my dad and mom's engagement,he's still alive,we don't talk much.