thedrifter
10-08-07, 09:21 AM
Warren man hurt in Okinawa, lost friend to war
By RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle
Editor’s note: This is part of a weekly series published each Monday between Memorial Day and Veterans Day honoring local veterans.
WARREN — In the weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all Warren G. Harding students Verne E. Hoehn and Stanley Pierson wanted to do was join the the fight for democracy.
‘‘We wanted to get those Japs,’’ Hoehn, now 88, said. ‘‘We wanted to pay them back for what they did in Pearl Harbor.’’
The two men volunteered to join the U.S. Marines in 1942 for a four-year term. They wanted to get on the front lines as quickly as possible.
Nearly 66 years later, all Hoehn wants is his friend back.
‘‘Stan is the hero,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘He had 35 Jap kills. I only had one.’’
Hoehn’s best friend never made it home from the war. Talking about Pierson still brings tears to Hoehn’s eyes. He shivers from the grief.
‘‘It has only gotten worse as my husband has gotten older,’’ Terry Hoehn said. ‘‘Before they went overseas, we used to do everything together. We used to double date. We were all friends.’’
Hoehn and Pierson were separated soon after they completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Pierson went to Washington, D.C. Hoehn went to the Naval Yards in Norfolk, Va.
Although each man kept asking to be transferred to the front lines, their fight would have to wait a couple years as the teens were first stationed in bases in the U.S.
While he waited , Hoehn married Terry. They had a son.
Eventually, each man received orders to go overseas. Hoehn was assigned to First Battalion, First Marine Division. Pierson was assigned to the Sixth U.S. Marine Division, which was formed in Guadalcanal.
Both divisions were ordered to participate in the invasion of Okinawa.
Pierson’s Sixth Marine Division arrived on the northern part of the Island on April 1, 1945, which also was Easter Sunday. Hoehn’s First Marine Division arrived on the Island in late April 1945.
‘‘We landed on the southern part of the Island,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘Our first lieutenant had us running directly up the beach into the Japanese gunfire.’’
As he raced up the hill, firing his weapon, Hoehn was hit in the upper leg. He fell onto the sandy beach.
As other Marines were running past him, Hoehn saw bullets whistling past his head. Some hitting inches away from him, spraying sand into his face.
‘‘Medical corpsman had smoke grenades thrown around me, they could come up get me and take me back to a hospital ship for treatment,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘I was kept on the ship for two to three weeks.’’
Pierson, a Marine machine gunner, also was in the middle of a tough battle. The Sixth Marine Division was taking heavy casualties.
The battle of Okinawa lasted 82 days. More than 250,000 people lost their lives. About 150,000 Okinawans, or about a third of the Island’s population, lost their lives.
The battle was so fierce because Okinawa was recognized as an important stepping stone for the U.S. and its allies, because it is about 350 miles from the tip of mainland Japan. If the allies won the island, it could be used to launch air and sea attacks on Japan.
On the last day of the battle, Pierson was killed by sniper fire when a bullet ripped through his shoulder as he was talking to a superior officer.
Terry learned about Pierson’s death before her husband. While he was recovering in the military hospital, Pierson’s family was informed of his death.
‘‘I didn’t know Verne did not know about Stanley’s death until he contacted us and said he was going to try to find him while on Guam,’’ she said.
Hoehn learned about his friend’s death when he went to the Sixth Marine Division headquarters.
‘‘I was fortunate,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘I only went through one battle, before I was wounded.’’
The Hoehns lost many friends during the war.
‘‘Although I was wounded, I made it back home. I was able to live my life. They were not able to come home,’’ Hoehn said.
After the war, Hoehn got a job at Republic Steel where he worked for 31 years before retiring in 1977. He then worked part time at Trumbull Memorial Hospital for 17 years.
rsmith@tribune-chronicle.com
Ellie
By RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle
Editor’s note: This is part of a weekly series published each Monday between Memorial Day and Veterans Day honoring local veterans.
WARREN — In the weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all Warren G. Harding students Verne E. Hoehn and Stanley Pierson wanted to do was join the the fight for democracy.
‘‘We wanted to get those Japs,’’ Hoehn, now 88, said. ‘‘We wanted to pay them back for what they did in Pearl Harbor.’’
The two men volunteered to join the U.S. Marines in 1942 for a four-year term. They wanted to get on the front lines as quickly as possible.
Nearly 66 years later, all Hoehn wants is his friend back.
‘‘Stan is the hero,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘He had 35 Jap kills. I only had one.’’
Hoehn’s best friend never made it home from the war. Talking about Pierson still brings tears to Hoehn’s eyes. He shivers from the grief.
‘‘It has only gotten worse as my husband has gotten older,’’ Terry Hoehn said. ‘‘Before they went overseas, we used to do everything together. We used to double date. We were all friends.’’
Hoehn and Pierson were separated soon after they completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Pierson went to Washington, D.C. Hoehn went to the Naval Yards in Norfolk, Va.
Although each man kept asking to be transferred to the front lines, their fight would have to wait a couple years as the teens were first stationed in bases in the U.S.
While he waited , Hoehn married Terry. They had a son.
Eventually, each man received orders to go overseas. Hoehn was assigned to First Battalion, First Marine Division. Pierson was assigned to the Sixth U.S. Marine Division, which was formed in Guadalcanal.
Both divisions were ordered to participate in the invasion of Okinawa.
Pierson’s Sixth Marine Division arrived on the northern part of the Island on April 1, 1945, which also was Easter Sunday. Hoehn’s First Marine Division arrived on the Island in late April 1945.
‘‘We landed on the southern part of the Island,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘Our first lieutenant had us running directly up the beach into the Japanese gunfire.’’
As he raced up the hill, firing his weapon, Hoehn was hit in the upper leg. He fell onto the sandy beach.
As other Marines were running past him, Hoehn saw bullets whistling past his head. Some hitting inches away from him, spraying sand into his face.
‘‘Medical corpsman had smoke grenades thrown around me, they could come up get me and take me back to a hospital ship for treatment,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘I was kept on the ship for two to three weeks.’’
Pierson, a Marine machine gunner, also was in the middle of a tough battle. The Sixth Marine Division was taking heavy casualties.
The battle of Okinawa lasted 82 days. More than 250,000 people lost their lives. About 150,000 Okinawans, or about a third of the Island’s population, lost their lives.
The battle was so fierce because Okinawa was recognized as an important stepping stone for the U.S. and its allies, because it is about 350 miles from the tip of mainland Japan. If the allies won the island, it could be used to launch air and sea attacks on Japan.
On the last day of the battle, Pierson was killed by sniper fire when a bullet ripped through his shoulder as he was talking to a superior officer.
Terry learned about Pierson’s death before her husband. While he was recovering in the military hospital, Pierson’s family was informed of his death.
‘‘I didn’t know Verne did not know about Stanley’s death until he contacted us and said he was going to try to find him while on Guam,’’ she said.
Hoehn learned about his friend’s death when he went to the Sixth Marine Division headquarters.
‘‘I was fortunate,’’ Hoehn said. ‘‘I only went through one battle, before I was wounded.’’
The Hoehns lost many friends during the war.
‘‘Although I was wounded, I made it back home. I was able to live my life. They were not able to come home,’’ Hoehn said.
After the war, Hoehn got a job at Republic Steel where he worked for 31 years before retiring in 1977. He then worked part time at Trumbull Memorial Hospital for 17 years.
rsmith@tribune-chronicle.com
Ellie