Looking for details on Tarawa

[sand sailor]

Hello all! <br />
<br />
This is a rquest for research assistance. <br />
<br />
I'm retired from the USN after 25 years in uniform and too many schools with Marines :p . <br />
<br />
I am currently working on a master's...

[FistFu68]

:usmc: ASK SHAFFER HE KNOWS IT ALL!!! :usmc:

[ramayn2430]

One story I know from my father, on the 2nd wave, (I believe) Indian co. 3rd bn. 2nd Marines... He hit the beach and was behind a coconut wall. A Japanese grenade landed between him and his comrade. My dad got it all in his face-the other Marine was evacked off the island right away. This is 1943(?) He assumes the guy is KIA. In 1966 he's watching a boxing match in Springfield MA and looks at the guy standing next to him. You bet... the same guy. I met him when my dad had him over for beers.

[jjm]

Deseret News (Salt Lake City); 3/10/2008; 38 words; The USS Tarawa Veterans Association is having its 19th annual reunion in Charleston, S.C., May 1-8. For reunion or membership information, contact Frank Grosey, 976 Holly St., Bull Head City, AZ 86442 or by e-mail at groseyjr@frontiernet.net.

[sand sailor]

GREAT!!!!!

Thank you for that information!

Now to get there...

[Syzygyone]

SandSailor;

This information comes from my Father In Law, who was in the Navy and was 18 years old when he hit the beach with the Marines on Tarawa.

I ask him why Navy went in with the Marines. His logical answer was, "my job, driving crew boats, didn't start until after the invasion and if you could carry a gun, you hit the beach". I don't have any idea what the timing was or what wave he was in, or anything like that but he tells two very compelling stories, one of which relates to technology at that time.

He has spoken very little of his WWII experience but he has told two very compelling stories. The first was as an explanation of why he holds the Thanksgiving holiday is such high regard. He explained about being bombed and strafed on Thanksgiving while they were burying their dead and every Thanksgiving for 55 years, he remembers that terrible time.

The second story he has told is related to technology and the purpose for invading Tarawa being an airstirp on the island. He explains that he and dozens of others rolled barrels of plane fuel off ships, across docs and to the airfield, by hand, for 36 hours straight. He then goes on to explain that they then proceeded to fuel aircraft with buckets because the pumps wouldn't work.

If you wish to speak with him, please let me know with a PM and I will ask him if he's willing.

[Zulu 36]

Sand Sailor,

Try this link. It is the on-line version of the official USMC monograph on the Battle of Tarawa. I have not read this monograph yet, but they often discuss weapon performance and tactics effectiveness in these monos.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Tarawa/index.html



This site also has all of the other USMC monographs from WWII, plus additional histories.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/index.html#usmc

[sand sailor]

Zulu 36,

Me and Hyperwar are well aquainted. I keep finding new applicable things every week, or though other links.

Thank you for you help, even though I already had those links.

[sand sailor]

Ramayn2430,

Thanks for that. You said he was I/3/2, right? Thanks for that, I will note it as I'm covering the medical aspects as well, so a certain KIA who evac'd and was saved is great (and not just for him).

[ramayn2430]

No problem, Sand Sailor. He always said "3 I 2". He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads, but it might have been Saipan.

All you guys with marine dads who served, if and when they feel like talking, listen, and write the stuff down. I am kicking myself in the keister for letting him die without writing it down.

[Zulu 36]

No problem, Sand Sailor. He always said "3 I 2". He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads, but it might have been Saipan.

All you guys with marine dads who served, if and when they feel like talking, listen, and write the stuff down. I am kicking myself in the keister for letting him die without writing it down.
I'd have loved to have been able to do that too, but my Dad died at 45, when I was 18 and on mess duty waiting for truck driver's school.

I do remember some of his stories, he liked to tell mostly just the funny ones. He wasn't very forthcoming unless asked questions first. He was in the 6th Marines scout-sniper platoon and based on my research, they saw a lot of nastiness on Saipan and Tinian.

I would have really liked to have been able to talk with him after I got back from Vietnam. Things would have made a lot more sense then and he might have been a bit more open besides.

My daughters are both pestering me to write my autobiography (for family use only). I suppose I should now that I'm (all but) 55.

[krisshoop]

I have an 86 year old grandpa - Charles E. McHenry -who served in WWII and was one of the few that survived the bloody Battle of Tarawa. He received a purple heart and is consider by many as a war hero. He is still in excellent health. Please let me know of any contact information I can give you or questions you have . His stories are amazing! He currently resides in Milford, Ohio a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.

[sand sailor]

ramayn2430 (http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=50988) "He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads" Maybe he meant Colorado... it was tossing shells a Tarawa.
krisshoop (http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=53710) I would love to hear more from him EVEN if I don't use it for my paper! What did he do? Infatryman or what?

To any one in general - My thesis advisor wants me to find a copy of Major Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis' OP PLAN 712 Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia. I have FMFRP 12-46 which is a reprint with an introduction and forward, but the boss wants me to have a straight copy of OP 712. Any suggestions?

[sand sailor]

Zulu 36
Yeah, the Scout Snipers were in the nastiest part of it.

In GALVANIC, there were two groups, the 2nd Division's Scouts & Snipers under 1st LT Hawkins (who received a Medal of Honor for his efforts, posthumously, and is creditied for single handledly turning the tide of the battle by Shoup and Julian Smith; and the Corps Scouts & Snipers who worked with USS Nautilus to capture Apemama without any other V Amphibious Corps support. Gutsy!

[Zulu 36]

ramayn2430 (http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=50988) "He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads" Maybe he meant Colorado... it was tossing shells a Tarawa.
krisshoop (http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=53710) I would love to hear more from him EVEN if I don't use it for my paper! What did he do? Infatryman or what?

To any one in general - My thesis advisor wants me to find a copy of Major Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis' OP PLAN 712 Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia. I have FMFRP 12-46 which is a reprint with an introduction and forward, but the boss wants me to have a straight copy of OP 712. Any suggestions?


You may have to visit the National Archives for a legit copy of OP-712. Of course, the Marine Corps Museum may have a copy too. But getting one to hold onto isn't likely. The FMFRP may be your only reasonable option.

Thesis and dissertation advisers usually want original sources, but sometimes they forget how much money is involved in traveling around to see the last remaining copy or two of something. The university PhDs get those research grants which pay for all of those incidentals, like food, while digging through library stacks. ;)

[sand sailor]

Tnx

[Swain]

Sand Sailor - I hope you didn't go to Salt Lake City......I assume you've figured this out by now, but in the process of looking for marines and sailors who took Betio in 1943, you'll find your web search results tangled up with information about veterans of the aircraft carrier USS Tarawa (CV-40).

(I'll bet Samuel Elliot Morrison never had to put up with such confusion....)

[ecfree]

Swain,I know you mean well,but Marines is always CAPITALIZED....and you need to fill out your profile sir.

[Swain]

Yes ecfree, sorry about that - I actually noticed the mistake, but time had expired on editing my post.

Sand Sailor - one more thing:


6) Marine flame throwers - I know they were authorized 1 per platoon under a change in October 1944 but did not get any more to get up to the new TO&E before sailing. I don't know how many they had other than very few.


According to Alexander in Utmost Savagery(Chapter 3), as of November 1943 a Marine division rated only 24 backpack flamethrowers; and he implies that was the number General Smith had to work with going into Tarawa. By the time of the Saipan invasion, there was one per rifle squad....or 243 per division.

[USMCPatriot]

My grandfather is now 92 and fought at Tarawa. His brother was also a Marine both fighting together at Tinian Island and Saipan. My grandfather and his brother are the reason I became a Marine. I had heard stories of the Tarawa battle my entire life. I heard stories of every battle the two of them fought during World War II.

I recently saw a show on the discovery channel or National geographic regarding the discovery of Marine bodies on Tarawa. This hit home for me because one of the stories I was told was of the countless graves that my grandfather had to help dig for not only the Marines Killed In Action but the Japanese Killed In Action.
I am not sure how I can help but I feel it my duty to somehow do something to honor those Marines. To further Honor my grandfather that due to multiple strokes is fighting his toughest battle yet. He is fighting it like the Marine he was and always will be.
Please let me know if anyone knows how I can be of service to help recover those Marines. Semper Fidelis.

[USMCPatriot]

My grandfather is 92 and fought at Tarawa. His brother was also a Marine and both fought together at Saipan and Tinian. They are the reason I enlisted in the Marines.
I recently saw a documentary on National geographic indicating that Marine bodies were found on the Island. This hit home because one of the many stories my grandfather told me regarding World War II were the graves he had to help dig for Marines Killed In Action at Tarawa.
Is this search ongoing? My understanding is that there was not enough funding and the Island is littered in trash.
I would like to be of service if possible. If anyone has any information regarding this please let me know. Semper Fidelis.

[ramayn2430]

My mom has a copy of "Tarawa" with his name listed in the wounded section. When I'm over there this week I'll try to find out author/publisher, etc. I also know (he rarely shared) he was responsible along with another marine for dropping a grenade in the hatch of a Japanese tank and stopping its gun. Naturally the next marine that did it was awarded the silver star. He was delivering a message once and rounded a corner to find a Japanese soldier sitting cross-legged. He shot him point blank. I asked him what he found when he searched the body and he told me he didn't search anything-he ran as fast as he could. Said chow was great before D-day. Loved Samoa, New Zealand, big island Hawaii. Wish he were here...

[sand sailor]

Thank you ALL!

The paper went well. Now I am re-expanding it for publication (I had to cut it down to 35 pages before). During the process, I got to know a dozen or so survivors from the 2nd Marine Division through the 2nd Marine Association, including Sgt Hatch who took most of the pictures and film footage.

Sadly, as I attempt to reconnect with these gentlemen, most have passed away in the interval since the intitial research and writing. I still have a corpsman who keeps weekly contact and one Marine as well. But time marches on and these gentlemen too will soon be free from their nightmares (ALL of the veterans I got hold of admitted to still having them at least weekly) of those 76 hours in Hell.

[0331 2 0369]

My grandfather is now 92 and fought at Tarawa. His brother was also a Marine both fighting together at Tinian Island and Saipan. My grandfather and his brother are the reason I became a Marine. I had heard stories of the Tarawa battle my entire life. I heard stories of every battle the two of them fought during World War II.


You are very lucky to have heard those stories first hand. I loved hearing stories from the Old Salts when I was younger.

Need to work on your profile a little to.