[Iris7]

The obvious lack of proper reconnaissance of the reef structure made necessary that 700 yard wade into machine gun fire. Using the imagination I see how difficult that long wade in was.

Notice that United States Army dogfaces waded in with the Marines. An old Okinawa Marine once straightened be out about the US Army. I was told in no uncertain terms that he would tolerate only respectful reference to the men of the US Army.

Admiral Nimitz (he took care of his men) began the Navy combat swimmers so something like Tarawa would not happen again. Swimmer teams later in the war made reef and beach reconnaissances; these teams came to be called Underwater Demolition Teams, generally referred to as UDT, and nowadays called SEAL Teams. SEAL trainees still make an open ocean swim that takes all night to finish.

[snippy_about_it]

An old Okinawa Marine once straightened be out about the US Army. I was told in no uncertain terms that he would tolerate only respectful reference to the men of the US Army.

Good for him.