19 Febuary 1045...The invasion of Iwo Jima, my tribute to those Marines

[MillRatUSMC]

Today is 19 Febuary in the Far East, so we wish to render this small tribute to those Marines and Corpsmen.

On 19 February, 1945, a day that now is a great part of the history of the Marine Corps.
We wish to give our respects to many who were in the service of our beloved Corps.
I made this web page a few years back, warning there's embedded music.

http://www.geocities.com/millrat_99/tributetoiwojimamarines.html
My Tribute to the Marines of Iwo Jima

We salute those Marines and Corpsmen that never made it back.
Hand Salute.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

[gwladgarwr]

If anyone is interested and in DC tomorrow, Sat, 19 Feb:

10 a.m.: Commemoration and wreath-laying ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, VA

• 11:30 a.m.: Wreath laying at the National World War II Memorial, National Mall, Washington, DC

[Underleft]

I am reading Flags of our fathers right now and it is an incredible book. I reccomend it to any Marine but especially those interested in Iwo Jima

[0351]

Semper fi, all. I have had the great honor and pleasure of visiting Charles Lindberg in his home. It was better than peaches and pound cake. What a Marine!

[jfreas]

To those who are interested in the History of the Battle for Iwo Jima. I have an autographed COPY of the First Flag Raising on Iwo. I have tried to share it with as many as possible here. If you'd like me to send a copy please write me at jfreas@rochester,rr,com I will be more than happy to share it with you.

[jfreas]

OOPs , forgot put Flag Raising in the subject line.

[MillRatUSMC]

0351, great numbers, as I once held that MOS.
On Charles Lindberg, read that he was the last of the first flag raisers, than other Marine was found of the first flag raisers on 23 Febuary 1945.
It was great that you were able to visit this great Marine in his home.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

PS
It sad, they were not given their due, while many were still alife.
Many on Iwo Jima, were not aware of the second flag raising, but luck had it as the most famous of the two.

[crew]

Thank you for the tribute, my Dad was on Iwo and I copied this page to show him, thank you and Semper Fi..:marine:

[MillRatUSMC]

crew, I want to thank you for your kind words to me, it was a labor of love.
One because of bravery and valor that was common on that island.
So please give my best to your dad and our "Semper Fi's" to one of many who service is now part of the Marine Corps history.
He and many other made it possible, for us to say with a proud feeling, "I'm a Marine".

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo aka MillRatUSMC

[cajunguy]

Coincidentally, the annual reunion of the Iwo Jima veterans is being held in my city this weekend .

Newspaper article here:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050218/OPINION01/502180335/1014
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/cajunguy/usa.gif

[MillRatUSMC]

Cajunguy,
Please write the newspaper that article appeared in and advice them, that it was six instead of three Marines, actually it was five Marine and one Corpsman in the second but most famous flag raising.
Great story other than that little mistake.
Hope you get to meet many of those Marines and Corpsmen from the Iwo Jima invasion.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

[cajunguy]

MillRat,

Would you believe I completely missed that when I read the article? http://pages.prodigy.net/indianahawkeye/newpage23/14.gif

Damn, I hate it when I do that. Oh well, back to Boot Camp for me.

[MillRatUSMC]

http://history.acusd.edu/cdr2/PATCH/NA/ww2155sm.GIF
<BR CLEAR="left">
<P><B>Dateline;
Today been 2/20 in the Far East.
2/20/45
Marines start their advance south to Mt. Suribachi and north to the airfields.
The fighting up the mountain some of the most intense during the war.
Japanese soldiers entrenched in the mountain and would have to be taken out by flame throwers and satchel charges.
Close air support by Naval and Marine pilots sometimes only a few hundred yards from advancing Marines.
Use of Cruisers and Destroyers for close bombardment on Japanese defenses.
No Banzai attacks by the Japanese. This would insure it to be a long drawn out battle.
Marines even have to resort to setting fire to the ravines with gasoline to force out the Japanese.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo</B></P>

[USMC-FO]

Not 20 minutes ago I visited a friend of mine here in town just to say "Semper Fi"--Plt Sgt Joe Topor. A-1-28 5th MarDiv. He was in on the initial assult in the second line of boats to reach the beach around 0915 sixty years ago. Joe is now 84 but in great shape and sharp as a tack. He was wounded on 12 March 45. "A" company had a casualty rate around 90% throughout the course of the battle. I make a point of seeing him half dozen times a year or so and at last years 229th luncheon in Boston I bought a table for ten and he was our most distinguished Marine at the table.

If I could figure how to post a pic of Joe I woould have included it with this post.

MillRat a great tribute !

[Cole11]

to the Marines on Iwo, SEMPER FI

[GySgtRet]

crew,

Please thank your dad and all the Marines of his platoon,,

Semper Fidelis

[greensideout]

The Marines that preceded us in service to the Corps set the standard by which we were judged and the high honor that we were held to. The battle of Iwo Jima is another great example of the heart of the Marine in battle. I honor them today!

"UNCOMMON VALOR WAS A COMMON VIRTUE"


Semper Fidelis

[yellowwing]

Amen and Semper Fi!

[MillRatUSMC]

Its sad, there not much coverage on the Iwo Jima invasion, and those that gave their alls.
A little on the living survivors, seeing that this year is the 60-anniversary, you would figure that he would get some coverage.
Sad, on how pitiful lack of coverage.
I speaking from northwest Indiana and the cable channels coverage of the news.
Must not be news worthy for some.
Sad
"That could be another story"
Dateline;
Is it any wonder that veterans are now getting the shaft, on co-payments to the VA?


Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

[yellowwing]

Survivors remember Iwo Jima
60th anniversary of famous battle in the Pacific during World War II reunites veterans who fought there.
By Rob Schneider, IndyStar Feb 20, 2005 (http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/223702-1036-009.html)
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- After practicing beach landings off the California coast during World War II, Jack Johnson figured sand was in his military future.

He was right. The place was Iwo Jima.

Johnson was among a group of Iwo Jima survivors who gathered Saturday at Lutz Steak House on the west side of Noblesville to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the prolonged fight that may be the best-known battle of the war in the Pacific. The volcanic island, about five miles long, was seen as a vital objective for American forces in the offensive against Japan.

After lunch, the survivors stood and introduced themselves, although they all seemed to know one another. A Marine flag and a map of Iwo Jima taped to a wall added to the atmosphere.

These former Marines mostly referred to the island as Iwo.

It was clear what brought them to the restaurant from Muncie, Lafayette, Plainfield, Michigan City and Indianapolis: their fellow Marines who died there.

"They were the heroes," said James Huddleston, of Muncie, who helped organize Saturday's event.

Huddleston was 19 when he landed at Iwo Jima and was wounded twice but was not evacuated. He joined the Marines after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

"I didn't even know where Pearl Harbor was," he said.

About 7,000 American forces died on the island, and more than 20,000 were wounded. Nearly all of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers were killed by the end of the battle.

Even 60 years later, Johnson said he finds it difficult to imagine he played a role in such a monumental battle.

He was an 18-year-old member of the 5th Marine Division and spent 35 to 40 days on the island he didn't know existed until he set foot there.

The assault was his first time in combat, and he remembers being up by 4 a.m., eating what he recalls were steak and eggs and then stepping into a landing craft at dawn.

Johnson, a retired Muncie educator, remembers the island's black sand upon his arrival.

On Feb. 23, after the Marines fought their way up Mount Suribachi, where they used flame throwers and grenades to clear enemy bunkers, the famous picture of a few Marines raising the U.S. flag was taken.

Johnson said he looked up to see the flag rise as whistles on Navy ships sounded loudly. It was like a Fourth of July celebration, he recalled.

Jack Lauck was a 21-year-old second lieutenant in charge of a Marine rifle platoon on Iwo Jima. He said the battle was supposed to last about three days, with another two days to quell any resistance.

But military intelligence officers had underestimated the number of Japanese, figuring about 12,000 rather than the actual 21,000.

"It was pretty brutal," Lauck said of the image that comes to his mind when he hears the name Iwo Jima. "The friends you lost hurts more than anything else."

[Thurman]

To the 133rd Seabees - 4th Marine Division
370 casualties mostly in the first day!
You Are Not Forgotten!!
CAN - DO