Rough Hands
10-13-10, 04:53 AM
I have stated before somewhere in my myriad of posts that one of my inspirations to join the Marine Corps was my great uncle, Cpl. Thomas L. Cloud, a Marine whom made the ultimate sacrifice in the Battle of Iwo Jima, on 23 Mar 1945. My mom first told me about him when I was 11-years-old, and over the last few years I found out a few more things about him thanks to other family members and a lot of online snooping.
Now, thanks to Ancestry.com, I recently found an article that was posted about my great-uncle, his family, and the time he spent in the Corps. I never would have thought that I'd find out all these things about him - needless to say, it makes me feel incredibly motivated. I just thought I'd share a little piece of Marine Corps history with some fellow poolees...
02-23-2007
Remembering those San Gorgonio Pass heroes who helped conquer Iwo Jima
By Timothy Smith
Record Gazette
On Feb. 19, 1945 three United States Marine Corps Divisions landed from the south and attacked Japanese troops on the island of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands.
The island was the last stronghold of the quickly failing Japanese Empire.
The results of taking the island are still debated today. Would the war with Japan have ended without taking Iwo Jima? That's for scholars, Clint Eastwood and military historians to debate. The U.S.A. conquered the island 62 years ago and ultimately won the war with Japan.
The pork chop shaped island comprised only about eight square miles of land.
It is 650 nautical miles south of Tokyo, Japan. The most prominent feature on the island is Mt. Suribachi, a vent to a dormant volcano.
That is where the Marines planted the American Flag, Feb. 23, 1945, in the now famous photo of the Iwo Jima battle.
880 ships, 74 days of bombing, 36 days of hand-to-hand combat, 11 miles of fortified tunnels, 800 pill boxes, 10,000 soldiers per square mile, 12,600 pints of plasma, 27 Medals of Honor, 26,747 dead. Iwo Jima was Hell on Earth for both sides!
Eight boys from the San Gorgonio Pass area served in the U.S. Marine Corps force that fought and helped win the battle for Iwo Jima. Three didn't make it during the battle.
They were Pfc. Richard Hall, Cpl. Tommy Cloud, Cpl. Johnny Harwell, Cpl. Gene Satterfield, Pfc. Eugene Burgess, Cpl. Tommy Harwell, Sgt. James Irvine and Pfc. George Carter. 500 men from the Pass served in the armed forces during World War II. These were skinny young men born into the Great Depression that never had much until the war was over.
Hall, Cloud, and John Harwell were killed in action. Cloud's cousins, Satterfield and Burgess, were wounded during the 36 day battle.
Cpl. Thomas L. Cloud was with the Twenty-eighth Marines, Fifth Division on Iwo Jima when he was killed Mar. 23, 1945. The location of Cloud's death appears to be in the battle of Bloody Gorge as noted in the secret report of the day's fighting by Col. Robinson. The report says the fighting involved tanks, hand grenade battles and flame throwers against the enemy hiding in tunnels.
Hostilities on the island ended the next day. The Battle of Iwo Jima ended on Mar. 24, 1945.
Cloud was a trained paratrooper and participated in campaigns in the Solomon Islands, including Bougainville and Rachaul. After 18 months of hard service, he returned to Banning on a 30-day furlough. He then sailed for the South Pacific in Nov. 1944.
Cloud was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Cloud of Yucaipa, formerly of Banning. Cloud was born in Banning Jul. 23, 1925.
He left his classes at Banning High School while a junior and enlisted in the Marines on his 17th birthday.
Cloud's two brothers, Joel and Ernest, also served during WWII. Joel was one of the Marine defenders of Midway Island. Ernest served in the U.S. Navy.
Cloud is buried at the Sunnyslope Cemetary in Banning, now known as San Gorgonio Memorial Park.
Previos battle victories at Saipan and Tarawa didn't prepare the Marines for the Japanese defenses of Iwo Jima. Banzai attacks were easily overcome and defeated on the other islands. Iwo Jima was literally a tough nut to crack with the enemy hiding in 11 miles of underground tunnels.
With the help and supreme sacrifice of the valiant young men from the San Gorgonio Pass, the hardened Japanese defenses were overcome and America prevailed.
Feel free to share any stories about Marines in your family, poolees.
:iwo:
Now, thanks to Ancestry.com, I recently found an article that was posted about my great-uncle, his family, and the time he spent in the Corps. I never would have thought that I'd find out all these things about him - needless to say, it makes me feel incredibly motivated. I just thought I'd share a little piece of Marine Corps history with some fellow poolees...
02-23-2007
Remembering those San Gorgonio Pass heroes who helped conquer Iwo Jima
By Timothy Smith
Record Gazette
On Feb. 19, 1945 three United States Marine Corps Divisions landed from the south and attacked Japanese troops on the island of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands.
The island was the last stronghold of the quickly failing Japanese Empire.
The results of taking the island are still debated today. Would the war with Japan have ended without taking Iwo Jima? That's for scholars, Clint Eastwood and military historians to debate. The U.S.A. conquered the island 62 years ago and ultimately won the war with Japan.
The pork chop shaped island comprised only about eight square miles of land.
It is 650 nautical miles south of Tokyo, Japan. The most prominent feature on the island is Mt. Suribachi, a vent to a dormant volcano.
That is where the Marines planted the American Flag, Feb. 23, 1945, in the now famous photo of the Iwo Jima battle.
880 ships, 74 days of bombing, 36 days of hand-to-hand combat, 11 miles of fortified tunnels, 800 pill boxes, 10,000 soldiers per square mile, 12,600 pints of plasma, 27 Medals of Honor, 26,747 dead. Iwo Jima was Hell on Earth for both sides!
Eight boys from the San Gorgonio Pass area served in the U.S. Marine Corps force that fought and helped win the battle for Iwo Jima. Three didn't make it during the battle.
They were Pfc. Richard Hall, Cpl. Tommy Cloud, Cpl. Johnny Harwell, Cpl. Gene Satterfield, Pfc. Eugene Burgess, Cpl. Tommy Harwell, Sgt. James Irvine and Pfc. George Carter. 500 men from the Pass served in the armed forces during World War II. These were skinny young men born into the Great Depression that never had much until the war was over.
Hall, Cloud, and John Harwell were killed in action. Cloud's cousins, Satterfield and Burgess, were wounded during the 36 day battle.
Cpl. Thomas L. Cloud was with the Twenty-eighth Marines, Fifth Division on Iwo Jima when he was killed Mar. 23, 1945. The location of Cloud's death appears to be in the battle of Bloody Gorge as noted in the secret report of the day's fighting by Col. Robinson. The report says the fighting involved tanks, hand grenade battles and flame throwers against the enemy hiding in tunnels.
Hostilities on the island ended the next day. The Battle of Iwo Jima ended on Mar. 24, 1945.
Cloud was a trained paratrooper and participated in campaigns in the Solomon Islands, including Bougainville and Rachaul. After 18 months of hard service, he returned to Banning on a 30-day furlough. He then sailed for the South Pacific in Nov. 1944.
Cloud was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Cloud of Yucaipa, formerly of Banning. Cloud was born in Banning Jul. 23, 1925.
He left his classes at Banning High School while a junior and enlisted in the Marines on his 17th birthday.
Cloud's two brothers, Joel and Ernest, also served during WWII. Joel was one of the Marine defenders of Midway Island. Ernest served in the U.S. Navy.
Cloud is buried at the Sunnyslope Cemetary in Banning, now known as San Gorgonio Memorial Park.
Previos battle victories at Saipan and Tarawa didn't prepare the Marines for the Japanese defenses of Iwo Jima. Banzai attacks were easily overcome and defeated on the other islands. Iwo Jima was literally a tough nut to crack with the enemy hiding in 11 miles of underground tunnels.
With the help and supreme sacrifice of the valiant young men from the San Gorgonio Pass, the hardened Japanese defenses were overcome and America prevailed.
Feel free to share any stories about Marines in your family, poolees.
:iwo: