Forgotten Hero: Marine Sgt. Bill Genaust

[Osotogary]

This was in this sundays Miami Herald - Parade Section(www.herald.com)
THE UNSUNG FILMAKEROF IWO JIMA by Hal Buell

I scanned as much as I could from the front cover.

...on March 4th a B-29 bomber-battered during a bombing run over Tokyo-made an emergency landing on Guam. Normally, Sgt. Genaust would have photggraphed the bomber, but the weather was poor-overcast, dark and misty.Instead, he was on Hill 362A, where Marines were mopping up any remaining resistance. With photography impossible, Sgt. Genaust turned to his carbine and.45 pistol to help his buddies. Genaust with another Marine ducked into a cave to escape the heavy rain. When Sgt. Genaust turned on the flashlight to check his surroundings, the Japanese hidden in the cave opened fire, killing the two Marines instantly. Other Marines cleaned out the cave with flamethrower, and bulldozers blocked up the entrance.
....True to Corps' tradition of recovering their dead, most of the Marines killed and initially buried on Iwo Jima were returned to the U.S. by the 1950's. However, the the cave where Sgt. Genaust died was considered too dangerous to open because of possible explosives, and its entrance eventuallywa lost to time.
...Sgt Genaust was one Marine who immortalized his nations's fight for freedom and his Corps' honor-though he remains behind, entombed forever on Hill 362A in a forgotten cave without a marker.

[yanacek]

Sergeant Bill Genaust was the Marine motion picture cameraman who stood alongside Joe Rosenthal filming the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi. His film is frequently seen in Marine Corps documentaries.

Sergeant Genaust was sumbitted for the Navy Cross of his actions on Saipan, but the recommendation was apparently lost.

There is some really good information on Sergeant Bill Genaust at the following URL: http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/gunnyg/themanweleftbehind.html

Rest in Peace Brother Leatherneck.