FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Alexander Bonnyman, Jr ~ 09 January 2023

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Alexander Bonnyman, Jr.
Story from this website.

           

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Bonnyman (May 2, 1910 - November 22, 1943) grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and attended Princeton University where he studied engineering and established himself as a football star in his sophomore year, in part for his ferocity on the field. Dropping out of college, he worked first in the coal industry then later moved to New Mexico, where he started a copper mining business.

At the outbreak of the war, Bonnyman was exempt from any military obligation due to his age and role in running a company producing strategically vital material for the war effort. Nevertheless, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a private at Phoenix, Arizona. Bonnyman received his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.

In October 1942, Bonnyman sailed for the South Pacific aboard the SS Matsonia. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Guadalcanal as part of a Marine pioneer unit (akin to a lightly equipped version of an Army combat engineer group). In February 1943, he received a battlefield commission to the rank of second lieutenant in recognition of what his superiors described as exceptional leadership skills.

Bonnyman's civilian background, temperament and skills would come to play an important role at Tarawa in November 1943, where he was assigned to a shore party handling beachhead logistics. When the assault troops were pinned down by heavy enemy artillery fire at the seaward end of the long Betio Pier, on his own initiative Bonnyman organized and led five men over the open pier to the beach. There he voluntarily obtained flame throwers and demolitions and directed the blowing up of several hostile installations.

On the second day of the struggle, Bonnyman, determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly defended defense line, led his demolitions teams in an assault on the entrance to a huge bombproof shelter which contained approximately 150 Japanese soldiers. The enemy position was about forty yards forward of the Marine lines. Bonnyman advanced his team to the mouth of the position and killed many of the defenders. His team was forced to withdraw to replenish its supply of ammunition and grenades. Bonnyman again pressed his attack and gained the top of the structure, thereby flushing more than one hundred of its occupants into the open where they were shot down. When the Japanese fought back, the lieutenant stood at the forward edge of the position and killed several attackers before he fell mortally wounded. Betio Island was declared secured on the same day.

Bonnyman was listed as buried at sea by the Navy, but the Missing Personnel Office maintains that his body was "non-recovered".

USNS 1st LT Alex Bonnyman (T-AK-3003), 1985-2009, is named in honor of First Lieutenant Alexander Bonnyman, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

FIRST LIEUTENANT ALEXANDER BONNYMAN, JR.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the Second Battalion Shore Party, Eighth Marines, Second Marine Division, during the assault against enemy Japanese-held Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, from 20 to November 22, 1943. Acting on his own initiative when assault troops were pinned down at the far end of Betio Pier by the overwhelming fire of Japanese shore batteries, First Lieutenant Bonnyman repeatedly defied the blasting fury of the enemy bombardment to organize and lead the besieged men over the long, open pier to the beach and then, voluntarily obtaining flame throwers and demolitions, organized his pioneer shore party into assault demolitions and directed the blowing of several hostile installations before the close of D-Day. Determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly organized defense line the following day, he voluntarily crawled approximately forty yards forward of our lines and placed demolitions in the entrance of a large Japanese emplacement as the initial move in his planned attack against the heavily garrisoned, bombproof installation which was stubbornly resisting despite the destruction early in the action of a large number of Japanese who had been inflicting heavy casualties on our forces and holding up our advance. Withdrawing only to replenish his ammunition, he led his men in a renewed assault, fearlessly exposing himself to the merciless slash of hostile fire as he stormed the formidable bastion, directed the placement of demolition charges in both entrances and sized the top of the bombproof position, flushing more than one hundred of the enemy who were instantly cut down and effecting the annihilation of approximately one hundred and fifty troops inside the emplacement. Assailed by additional Japanese after he had gained his objective, he made a heroic stand on the edge of the structure, defending his strategic position with indomitable determination in the face of the desperate charge and killing three of the enemy before he fell, mortally wounded. By his dauntless fighting spirit, unrelenting aggressiveness and forceful leadership throughout three days of unremitting, violent battle, First Lieutenant Bonnyman had inspired his men to heroic effort, enabling them to beat off the counterattack and break the back of hostile resistance in the sector for an immediate gain of four hundred yards with no further casualties to our forces in this zone. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

/S/HARRY S. TRUMAN

Thank you sir, for your service and sacrifice for our country!

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: Alexander Bonnyman, Jr ~

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[SkyDancer]

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I’m Down There Somewhere

[The Mayor]

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
January 9, 2023

The Right Jesus

Read: 2 Corinthians 11:1–4, 12–15

If someone . . . preaches a [false] Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, . . . you [wrongly] put up with it. 2 Corinthians 11:4

The buzz in the room faded to a comfortable silence as the book club leader summarized the novel the group would discuss. My friend Joan listened closely but didn’t recognize the plot. Finally, she realized she had read a nonfiction book with a similar title to the work of fiction the others had read. Although she enjoyed reading the “wrong” book, she couldn’t join her friends as they discussed the “right” book.

The apostle Paul didn’t want the Corinthian believers in Jesus to believe in a “wrong” Jesus. He pointed out that false teachers had infiltrated the church and presented a different “Jesus” to them, and they had swallowed the lies (2 Corinthians 11:3–4). 

Paul denounced the heresy of these phony teachers. In his first letter to the church, however, he’d reviewed the truth about the Jesus of Scripture. This Jesus was the Messiah who “died for our sins . . . was raised on the third day . . . and then [appeared] to the Twelve,” and finally to Paul himself (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). This Jesus had come to earth through a virgin named Mary and was named Immanuel (God with us) to affirm His divine nature (Matthew 1:20–23).

Does this sound like the Jesus you know? Understanding and accepting the truth written in the Bible about Him assures us that we’re on the spiritual path that leads to heaven. — Jennifer Benson Schuldt

How do you know that you believe the truth about Jesus? What might you need to investigate to make sure you understand what the Bible says about Him?

Dear God, help me to walk in the light of Your truth.

For further study, read In Pursuit of Jesus: Who He Is and Why It Matters.

Bible in a year: Genesis 23–24; Matthew 7

[PROCON]

Thanks for honoring tonight’s Hero, Kathy!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...did you and Tippy get to hike a bit today?

Sub zero and foggy here today after an attempt by the sun to come out. Now temps have come up a bit to the low teens and they say some snow.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey...((HUGS))...any weather improvement?

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

[left that other site]

We did a little bit of a walk, but my legs and back are still quite sore.

I have to start building up my distance again. As long as it doesn’t snow, I can walk along the main street on the sidewalk.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Hope you had a relaxing weekend and are ready for the new week.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

What a weird, crazy day weather-wise up there. Nothing to see on the Lake Hood cam for the longest except white. THICK fog.
It looks like it finally cleared out around 1:00 your time, leaving a thick layer of hoarfrost on the trees. Then the sun poked out for a bit around 3:00. Crazy to see.

And VERY cold, I understand. Pleeeeeeeease don’t send it down here. LOL

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hey there, Pro...hope today finds you feeling one more day better in your recovery process.

Is your cold weather and snow sticking around?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

1ST LT. ALEXANDER BONNYMAN JR. RETURNS HOME FROM TARAWA

[TigerHawk]

HOWDY, KATHY,

AS ALWAYS, YA DONE GOOD. THIS POST BRINGS THE CLOSURE. HIS LIFE’S JOURNEY HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

AS THE GREAT PAUL HARVEY, WOULD HAVE SAID, “AND HERE’S THE REST OF THE STORY.”

THANK YOU.

AGAIN, YA DONE GOOD.

G-D BLESS.

[PROCON]

We're into a bit of a warming period but still lots of snow hanging around.

I'm hoping this cold/cough will go away soon, yuck!

[luvie]

I salute this fallen hero.
He gave his life for freedom...for US!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Slow and easy....til the sore goes away.

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

Did your alarm survive this morning? :-)