thedrifter
11-21-08, 07:31 AM
Veterans mark 65th anniversary of Tarawa
November 20, 2008 - 6:08 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
It was about 9:15 a.m. when Bob Schultz and the rest of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, went ashore at Tarawa.
One hundred sixty-six men in Schultz's company went in as part of the first wave. One hundred twenty did not walk out, he said.
Thursday, the 65th anniversary of the landing at Tarawa, Schultz and 10 other veterans gathered at Camp Lejeune to remember.
"Gentlemen, it is because of your sacrifices that we are here today," Gunnery Sgt. Robert Ryan told the veterans during a ceremony at the base protestant chapel.
"The ferocity of combat (at Tarawa) had not been seen before," said Col. Paul Kennedy, commanding officer of 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
Men fought, bled and died over a "piece of land only two miles long," he said.
"You, Marines, were victorious. But this triumph came at a terrible cost," Kennedy said.
The 76-hour battle claimed more than 1,600 American lives, Ryan said. More than 4,700 Japanese and Korean service members were killed.
Walter Jenson, who was a Marine private at the time of the battle, said he was "supposed to be one of the ones who died."
Instead of being part of the first assault wave, an officer told Jenson to stay behind and look after some important papers and records.
"Somebody didn't want me that day," Jenson said.
Jenson said he has come for the ceremony and accompanying events - including time for the veterans to shoot Marine weapons - for several years.
"It was all my buddies," he said. "Once you're a Marine, they're all family."
Maj. C.J. Daigle said he traveled from Cincinnati to the ceremony for the camaraderie.
Daigle was "18 years, two months and 10 days old" when the battle began. His unit was called to land on an island to the left of Tarawa, "to form a blocking force," he said.
The next day, they went to the main island as reinforcements and to help clean up. When they arrived, Daigle remembers seeing bodies lying everywhere.
"That's when I knew my (drill instructor) had lied to me," Daigle said, remembering how he was told all Japanese soldiers were tiny. "Those Japanese were big suckers."
Two days after that, the unit went to chase the Japanese who had escaped, Daigle said.
Schultz dropped out of high school to join the Marine Corps, and Tarawa was his first time in combat.
"It was a real experience," he said.
Though the company lost all its officers in the battle, the Marines kept operating, Schultz said.
"And we won. So I guess it wasn't all bad," he said.
There were no Tarawa Day events last year, but besides that, Schultz has missed very few of the commemorations.
"It's kind of fun to come back," he said. "It's part of me, after all these years."
The Battle of Tarawa was important for all the Marines learned about amphibious operations, Daigle said - about equipment, organization and the Marines themselves.
"What we learned at Tarawa served us well for the rest of the Pacific war," he said.
Kennedy said the lessons learned at Tarawa are still being used today.
"Given a mission and enough ammunition, there is nothing we cannot do. And you taught us how," Kennedy said. "We remember Tarawa as a foundation for all that is good in our Corps."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie
November 20, 2008 - 6:08 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
It was about 9:15 a.m. when Bob Schultz and the rest of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, went ashore at Tarawa.
One hundred sixty-six men in Schultz's company went in as part of the first wave. One hundred twenty did not walk out, he said.
Thursday, the 65th anniversary of the landing at Tarawa, Schultz and 10 other veterans gathered at Camp Lejeune to remember.
"Gentlemen, it is because of your sacrifices that we are here today," Gunnery Sgt. Robert Ryan told the veterans during a ceremony at the base protestant chapel.
"The ferocity of combat (at Tarawa) had not been seen before," said Col. Paul Kennedy, commanding officer of 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
Men fought, bled and died over a "piece of land only two miles long," he said.
"You, Marines, were victorious. But this triumph came at a terrible cost," Kennedy said.
The 76-hour battle claimed more than 1,600 American lives, Ryan said. More than 4,700 Japanese and Korean service members were killed.
Walter Jenson, who was a Marine private at the time of the battle, said he was "supposed to be one of the ones who died."
Instead of being part of the first assault wave, an officer told Jenson to stay behind and look after some important papers and records.
"Somebody didn't want me that day," Jenson said.
Jenson said he has come for the ceremony and accompanying events - including time for the veterans to shoot Marine weapons - for several years.
"It was all my buddies," he said. "Once you're a Marine, they're all family."
Maj. C.J. Daigle said he traveled from Cincinnati to the ceremony for the camaraderie.
Daigle was "18 years, two months and 10 days old" when the battle began. His unit was called to land on an island to the left of Tarawa, "to form a blocking force," he said.
The next day, they went to the main island as reinforcements and to help clean up. When they arrived, Daigle remembers seeing bodies lying everywhere.
"That's when I knew my (drill instructor) had lied to me," Daigle said, remembering how he was told all Japanese soldiers were tiny. "Those Japanese were big suckers."
Two days after that, the unit went to chase the Japanese who had escaped, Daigle said.
Schultz dropped out of high school to join the Marine Corps, and Tarawa was his first time in combat.
"It was a real experience," he said.
Though the company lost all its officers in the battle, the Marines kept operating, Schultz said.
"And we won. So I guess it wasn't all bad," he said.
There were no Tarawa Day events last year, but besides that, Schultz has missed very few of the commemorations.
"It's kind of fun to come back," he said. "It's part of me, after all these years."
The Battle of Tarawa was important for all the Marines learned about amphibious operations, Daigle said - about equipment, organization and the Marines themselves.
"What we learned at Tarawa served us well for the rest of the Pacific war," he said.
Kennedy said the lessons learned at Tarawa are still being used today.
"Given a mission and enough ammunition, there is nothing we cannot do. And you taught us how," Kennedy said. "We remember Tarawa as a foundation for all that is good in our Corps."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie