thedrifter
10-05-07, 02:44 PM
Marine veteran recalls Iwo Jima
By Leonard Thornton
leonard@tmnews.com
October 5, 2007
FRENCH LICK — Marion “Frank” Walker was one of 12 in his company of 120 men to survive the battle of Iwo Jima, recorded as the deadliest battle in U.S. Marine Corps history.
About one-third of the United States Marines that were killed during World War II were killed during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
“The first wave of Marines barely hit the beach before they became targets,” Walker said, “I was in the second wave and we caught it, too.”
Walker, who began his enlistment in the Corps as a cook, said regardless of what your regular job is, you’re first and foremost an infantry man.
“Before we were able to reach the foot hills of Mount Suribachi, about 300 yards away,” Walker said. “Of the 950 men I had fed every day before this, at least two-thirds of them were killed, including one of my best friends and fellow cook.
“Altogether there were about 2,000 casualties in the first two to three hours,” Walker said. “They could see us, but we couldn’t see them. When we were finally able to move up the mount, we discovered we were on top of them.”
The island of Iwo Jima, described as being about four miles long and two miles wide, had approximately 45 miles of tunnels running below its surface. The Japanese forces were encamped in the tunnels, which had an electrical system for fresh air, and were able to keep the Marines from seeing them.
“The island was heavily bombarded for 74 days before we got there. We didn’t think there could be a living soul on the island — boy, were we wrong,” Walker said.
Walker, a resident of Brownstown, was in the Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Regiment, 5th division of the Marine Corps. He grew up in Seymour and joined the Marines when he was 17 years old in 1942. He was in French Lick Thursday to speak at an event honoring veterans at French Lick’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.
“I graduated mid-term and like so many back then, I lied about my age but they took me in,” Walker said. “My dad fought in World War I and conveyed to me what battles and war was. At an early age I knew I had to be a U.S. Marine.”
Walker, now 83, has dedicated the rest of his life to telling his account of what happened during the 36-day combat on the island of Iwo Jima.
“It’s only been since last year that I’ve been able to open up about this,” Walker said. “I find myself one of very few living survivors and if we don’t tell it now, it will die with us.”
Walker said the purpose of his story is not to educate, or about him, but to make people understand the terrors of war.
The Marines reached Mount Suribachi, the high point of the island, in two days. It took them four days to reach the summit and on Feb. 23, 1945, the famous flag-raising took place. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Joe Rosenthal pictures six Marines raising an American flag on the top of Mount Suribachi.
“Until I get to the point when I can’t talk anymore, I’m going to talk about this. We have to erase today’s belief that there is glory in war — believe me, there is no glory in war,” Walker said. “This is a nation of video games and expensive electronics. The new generations today are so unaware of the dangers of war.”
Although not in the picture of the six who raised the initial flag, Walker was in a larger picture taken later on.
“The first flag was a small flag that one of the Marines had brought and they found a stick and made a makeshift flagpole,” Walker said. “Later on, our commanding officer radioed to the ship for a larger flag to be raised.
“They say the flag-raising was staged. It was not. I was there, I saw it happen. When our flag went up, we heard a roar and we didn’t know what was going on — we didn’t know that they were watching from the ships with binoculars — we were just being Marines,” Walker said.
Times-Mail Staff Writer Leonard Thornton welcomes comments at 277-7263 or by e-mail at leonard@tmnews.com
Ellie
By Leonard Thornton
leonard@tmnews.com
October 5, 2007
FRENCH LICK — Marion “Frank” Walker was one of 12 in his company of 120 men to survive the battle of Iwo Jima, recorded as the deadliest battle in U.S. Marine Corps history.
About one-third of the United States Marines that were killed during World War II were killed during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
“The first wave of Marines barely hit the beach before they became targets,” Walker said, “I was in the second wave and we caught it, too.”
Walker, who began his enlistment in the Corps as a cook, said regardless of what your regular job is, you’re first and foremost an infantry man.
“Before we were able to reach the foot hills of Mount Suribachi, about 300 yards away,” Walker said. “Of the 950 men I had fed every day before this, at least two-thirds of them were killed, including one of my best friends and fellow cook.
“Altogether there were about 2,000 casualties in the first two to three hours,” Walker said. “They could see us, but we couldn’t see them. When we were finally able to move up the mount, we discovered we were on top of them.”
The island of Iwo Jima, described as being about four miles long and two miles wide, had approximately 45 miles of tunnels running below its surface. The Japanese forces were encamped in the tunnels, which had an electrical system for fresh air, and were able to keep the Marines from seeing them.
“The island was heavily bombarded for 74 days before we got there. We didn’t think there could be a living soul on the island — boy, were we wrong,” Walker said.
Walker, a resident of Brownstown, was in the Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Regiment, 5th division of the Marine Corps. He grew up in Seymour and joined the Marines when he was 17 years old in 1942. He was in French Lick Thursday to speak at an event honoring veterans at French Lick’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.
“I graduated mid-term and like so many back then, I lied about my age but they took me in,” Walker said. “My dad fought in World War I and conveyed to me what battles and war was. At an early age I knew I had to be a U.S. Marine.”
Walker, now 83, has dedicated the rest of his life to telling his account of what happened during the 36-day combat on the island of Iwo Jima.
“It’s only been since last year that I’ve been able to open up about this,” Walker said. “I find myself one of very few living survivors and if we don’t tell it now, it will die with us.”
Walker said the purpose of his story is not to educate, or about him, but to make people understand the terrors of war.
The Marines reached Mount Suribachi, the high point of the island, in two days. It took them four days to reach the summit and on Feb. 23, 1945, the famous flag-raising took place. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Joe Rosenthal pictures six Marines raising an American flag on the top of Mount Suribachi.
“Until I get to the point when I can’t talk anymore, I’m going to talk about this. We have to erase today’s belief that there is glory in war — believe me, there is no glory in war,” Walker said. “This is a nation of video games and expensive electronics. The new generations today are so unaware of the dangers of war.”
Although not in the picture of the six who raised the initial flag, Walker was in a larger picture taken later on.
“The first flag was a small flag that one of the Marines had brought and they found a stick and made a makeshift flagpole,” Walker said. “Later on, our commanding officer radioed to the ship for a larger flag to be raised.
“They say the flag-raising was staged. It was not. I was there, I saw it happen. When our flag went up, we heard a roar and we didn’t know what was going on — we didn’t know that they were watching from the ships with binoculars — we were just being Marines,” Walker said.
Times-Mail Staff Writer Leonard Thornton welcomes comments at 277-7263 or by e-mail at leonard@tmnews.com
Ellie