Looking for details on Tarawa

[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.