thedrifter
11-14-05, 06:22 PM
Marines get real life Tarawa lesson
MCRD San Diego
Story by Pvt. Charlie Chavez
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2005) -- A Recruit Training Regiment lieutenant colonel gave a history lesson on a famous World War II battle to depot Marines at Martini Hall Nov. 2.
Lt. Col. Brian D. Kerl, RTR operations officer, and a couple veterans who fought in the Battle of Tarawa hosted the battle study, attended by officers and mostly senior enlisted Marines.
Among the guests was Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., depot commanding general. He spoke before and after the lesson and presented the veterans with gifts.
Like from a movie fight scene, Kerl and a lance corporal grabbed the audience's attention by running into the room in authentic WWII uniforms, dressed as a Marine and a Japanese soldier.
Kerl began the hour-long history lesson focused on the tactics and shortcomings of both American and Japanese forces on Tarawa, November 1943.
According to Kerl, the Japanese main objective was to deny Allied forces access to the islet and set up a formidable defense. The Japanese had entrenched themselves on the islet of Bieto and had prepared for 15 months, collecting 4,836 troops with enough supplies to hold them over for a year.
The Allies wanted the islet for its airfield, and for the tactical part it played in the island-hopping campaign. Marines used amphibious assault capabilities and attacked the islet in November.
Problems in the first day for the Marines included miscalculation of the tide, resulting in Marines being dropped further from the beach than intended, and the reef was sharp and took many lives. Marines had also never been trained on the amphibious assault vehicles, and the salt water killed radios.
"During (the landing) I found out I can hide behind three or four grains of sand," said Mike Meyer, a Tarawa veteran. "I was thinking to myself, 'I wish I would have paid more attention in the Boy Scouts and learned how to swim.'"
On the second day, the situation improved for the United States; reinforcements were arriving and Marines were taking ground.
On the third day, the fierce fighting continued until the forces were within 30 meters of one another.
The fourth day concluded the battle, leaving 4,836 Japanese dead and 146 alive - mostly Korean workers. The Japanese soldiers were a versatile force that fought to the death.
"I'm not a hero ... the buddies I had who didn't make it are heroes," said Tarawa veteran Will Sooter.
The Marines sustained 3,301 casualties and 837 killed in action. Learning from the bloody battle, Corps leaders realized that the pre-bombing of the islet before the attack left planes guessing where to drop bombs and that landing vehicles needed to be more versatile.
Ellie
MCRD San Diego
Story by Pvt. Charlie Chavez
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2005) -- A Recruit Training Regiment lieutenant colonel gave a history lesson on a famous World War II battle to depot Marines at Martini Hall Nov. 2.
Lt. Col. Brian D. Kerl, RTR operations officer, and a couple veterans who fought in the Battle of Tarawa hosted the battle study, attended by officers and mostly senior enlisted Marines.
Among the guests was Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., depot commanding general. He spoke before and after the lesson and presented the veterans with gifts.
Like from a movie fight scene, Kerl and a lance corporal grabbed the audience's attention by running into the room in authentic WWII uniforms, dressed as a Marine and a Japanese soldier.
Kerl began the hour-long history lesson focused on the tactics and shortcomings of both American and Japanese forces on Tarawa, November 1943.
According to Kerl, the Japanese main objective was to deny Allied forces access to the islet and set up a formidable defense. The Japanese had entrenched themselves on the islet of Bieto and had prepared for 15 months, collecting 4,836 troops with enough supplies to hold them over for a year.
The Allies wanted the islet for its airfield, and for the tactical part it played in the island-hopping campaign. Marines used amphibious assault capabilities and attacked the islet in November.
Problems in the first day for the Marines included miscalculation of the tide, resulting in Marines being dropped further from the beach than intended, and the reef was sharp and took many lives. Marines had also never been trained on the amphibious assault vehicles, and the salt water killed radios.
"During (the landing) I found out I can hide behind three or four grains of sand," said Mike Meyer, a Tarawa veteran. "I was thinking to myself, 'I wish I would have paid more attention in the Boy Scouts and learned how to swim.'"
On the second day, the situation improved for the United States; reinforcements were arriving and Marines were taking ground.
On the third day, the fierce fighting continued until the forces were within 30 meters of one another.
The fourth day concluded the battle, leaving 4,836 Japanese dead and 146 alive - mostly Korean workers. The Japanese soldiers were a versatile force that fought to the death.
"I'm not a hero ... the buddies I had who didn't make it are heroes," said Tarawa veteran Will Sooter.
The Marines sustained 3,301 casualties and 837 killed in action. Learning from the bloody battle, Corps leaders realized that the pre-bombing of the islet before the attack left planes guessing where to drop bombs and that landing vehicles needed to be more versatile.
Ellie