thedrifter
03-11-09, 08:05 AM
Marine recalls battle of Iwo Jima
After 64 years, veteran receives a war memento
By BRITTONY LUND
The Lufkin Daily News
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
When John Powers and the rest of the U.S. Marines in his unit landed on the beach at Iwo Jima Feb. 21, 1945, they had to walk over the dead bodies and vehicles that littered the shoreline in order to begin their mission.
Every day, Powers remembers his time spent fighting on Iwo Jima. On Tuesday he spent the day with a friend, Al Vinson, swapping stories and remembering the war. It was on March 10, 1945, 64 years earlier to the day of their meeting, that a Japanese soldier shot him in the knee.
He and a fellow sniper buddy lay in a ditch that day in 1945, pinned down by machine gun fire. Powers, still just a teenager and at the age where he believed himself invincible, told his friend he'd take care of it. In order to get to the soldier operating the gun he had to jump a ditch.
"I did like John Wayne," Powers said. "I ran and jumped but didn't quite jump high enough and he got me in the knee," Powers said.
The injury, which tore up his knee, wasn't bad enough to stop Powers from staying and fighting. He said it was insignificant compared to the injuries his comrades suffered around him and the fatalities he saw daily. But he'll remember that day for the rest of his life.
Tuesday, while visiting his friend, Vinson gave Powers a gift sent from his son, David Vinson, from Tokyo. His son, a U.S. Navy sailor, sent a bag of volcanic sand he collected from one of his trips to Iwo Jima. In a note he told his dad to give the sand to Powers.
The black rocks of glass sat in the plastic zippered bag on the table between Powers and Vinson along with maps of the island and photos his son took.
"It's just a reminder," Powers said. "I won't say it's a joyful reminder."
The ghosts of that time still haunt Powers though he has moved on with his life and learned how to deal with the memories one day at a time. He said he never talked about the men he shot or the times he barely made it out alive or his fallen comrades to his family or anyone.
"I never would tell my family nothing," Powers said. "I tried to get through it with whiskey but I soon discovered they didn't make enough whiskey for me to forget it. But I still kept quiet."
Of the 60,000 Marines brought into Iwo Jima 27,000 were wounded and 6,800 didn't make it back. Powers said he remembers the Japanese would hide in holes. They'd come out, shoot at the Marines and then disappear again.
"We put our life behind our buddies," Powers said. "Lots of boys jumped in front of grenades to save another Marine. I never had to make that choice but I don't know if I could have done that or not."
Vinson shook his head, sure his friend would have risked his life if he'd had to.
"Heroes are born in an instant," Vinson said.
Ellie
After 64 years, veteran receives a war memento
By BRITTONY LUND
The Lufkin Daily News
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
When John Powers and the rest of the U.S. Marines in his unit landed on the beach at Iwo Jima Feb. 21, 1945, they had to walk over the dead bodies and vehicles that littered the shoreline in order to begin their mission.
Every day, Powers remembers his time spent fighting on Iwo Jima. On Tuesday he spent the day with a friend, Al Vinson, swapping stories and remembering the war. It was on March 10, 1945, 64 years earlier to the day of their meeting, that a Japanese soldier shot him in the knee.
He and a fellow sniper buddy lay in a ditch that day in 1945, pinned down by machine gun fire. Powers, still just a teenager and at the age where he believed himself invincible, told his friend he'd take care of it. In order to get to the soldier operating the gun he had to jump a ditch.
"I did like John Wayne," Powers said. "I ran and jumped but didn't quite jump high enough and he got me in the knee," Powers said.
The injury, which tore up his knee, wasn't bad enough to stop Powers from staying and fighting. He said it was insignificant compared to the injuries his comrades suffered around him and the fatalities he saw daily. But he'll remember that day for the rest of his life.
Tuesday, while visiting his friend, Vinson gave Powers a gift sent from his son, David Vinson, from Tokyo. His son, a U.S. Navy sailor, sent a bag of volcanic sand he collected from one of his trips to Iwo Jima. In a note he told his dad to give the sand to Powers.
The black rocks of glass sat in the plastic zippered bag on the table between Powers and Vinson along with maps of the island and photos his son took.
"It's just a reminder," Powers said. "I won't say it's a joyful reminder."
The ghosts of that time still haunt Powers though he has moved on with his life and learned how to deal with the memories one day at a time. He said he never talked about the men he shot or the times he barely made it out alive or his fallen comrades to his family or anyone.
"I never would tell my family nothing," Powers said. "I tried to get through it with whiskey but I soon discovered they didn't make enough whiskey for me to forget it. But I still kept quiet."
Of the 60,000 Marines brought into Iwo Jima 27,000 were wounded and 6,800 didn't make it back. Powers said he remembers the Japanese would hide in holes. They'd come out, shoot at the Marines and then disappear again.
"We put our life behind our buddies," Powers said. "Lots of boys jumped in front of grenades to save another Marine. I never had to make that choice but I don't know if I could have done that or not."
Vinson shook his head, sure his friend would have risked his life if he'd had to.
"Heroes are born in an instant," Vinson said.
Ellie