Corpman! Mother! Jesus! A Marine remembers Iwo Jima for the last time

The Birmingham News/AL.com ^ | 11/06/2013 | Charles Dean

[Bodleian_Girl]

GARDENDALE, Alabama – I could tell you that as I sat across from Harold Jarvis, his 68-year-old memories of Iwo Jima came flooding back to him.

But I don't think that's true. I believe those memories never left him. Listening to Jarvis recount his memories of one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of World War II was one of the most moving moments of my reporting life.

I have read good books about the Battle for Iwo Jima as well as press accounts of it including from the great war correspondent Ernie Pyle. But it turned out I really knew nothing about Iwo until I listened to Mr. Jarvis or rather medical corpsman Harold Jarvis, United States Marine Corps.

"It was Feb. 19, 1945. It was a Monday," said the 89-year-old Jarvis in a recent interview at his house. "I don't think I knew what day it was again after that for weeks. What day it was didn't matter. All you knew was you were still alive or dead."

[Bodleian_Girl]

Great article, please read the rest here http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/11/corpman_mother_jesus_a_marine.html#incart_river_default

[2ndDivisionVet]

If he was a medical corpsman, he was in the US Navy, not the Marines.

[sergeantdave]

Good story. I knew a Marine sniper who landed on Iwo Jima with the 28th Marines. Out of the 31 snipers who landed, 30 were wounded or KIA.

[Pentagon Leatherneck]

Corpman? Inexcusable.

TC

[Bodleian_Girl]

Someone else mentioned that in the comments under the article.

[Bodleian_Girl]

Those folks were so brave.

[exit82]

My screen got blurry at the end.

He carried all that for all these years.

[LeonardFMason]

IF you have not been to the National Museum of the Marine Corps you are missing one of the finest museums in the world. On the day I visited(2012) we met an older gentlemen as we entered the Iwo Jima exhibit in the museum. His knowledge of the event was uncanny and he spoke with a thousand mile stare. It finally struck me that this man was a on Iwo Jima during the battle. He confirmed it when I asked him. I told him it was an honor and thrill to meet a man who knew what Chester Nimitz said of the Marines who fought at Iwo Jima:
“Uncommon VALOR was a common virtue on Iwo Jima.”

BTW, one of my prized possessions is a jar full of black sand from Landing Zone Green. My nephew, a Marine was able to visit Iwo Jima while stationed in Japan.

[gundog]

We’re changing the language to accomodate The One.

[gundog]

Although, I suppose the dumbasss could still pronounce the “P”.

[Red_Devil 232]

My Father was a Marine, 25 years, he was on Saipan and a few of the other islands but not Iwo. He never talked about that war, Koera or his experiences during them. Typical for the Great Generation. He is why I became a Marine. I grew as a Marine Brat and later as a young man being a Marine. Simper Fi

[G Larry]

A powerful story if you have a moment and the courage.

[HenpeckedCon]

Aren't corpsman honorary Marines 2DV?

[Always A Marine]

Simper Fi

Semper. You must have caught the spelling virus from Bodleian_Girl!

[Portcall24]

I read the whole thing and that jumped off the page at me. That's such a error it makes me wonder. Was he in USMC and they just made him a medical type guy because they had a shortage. James Bradley's (Flags of Our Fathers) dad was a Navy Corpsman.

[Red_Devil 232]

I guess I did. LOL

[Harold Shea]

Have an uncle buried at the Iwo cemetary.

His brother said to leave him there he told

them after visiting it.Said it was so beautiful.

RIP Harvey Frye,21 yrs old

[2ndDivisionVet]

No, they don’t do that. All medical personnel serving the USMC are in the Navy. Corpsmen, nurses, technicians, orderlies, physicians and everyone else are Navy.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Yes, but that’s not an official designation.

[Portcall24]

You’re right. Looks like they tried to get it right, but...Here’s the obit: Harold Jarvis, November 5, 2013age 88, of Mt. Olive, AL, passed away on Nov. 5, 2013. He was retired from Eastern Airlines and was a substitute teacher. He was a member of First Baptist Mt. Olive, a member of the Marine Corps League and a Mason for over 60 years and was a member of the Metro West 927 Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the Greatest Generation, and proudly served in the United States Navy and as a Marine Corpsman during WWII.