Iwo Jima

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I have been watching a lot of WWII documentaries and some movies.  After two weeks and a dozen or so DVDs I suddenly realized that we lost about a man a minute on Iwo.

 

Being stationed on Okinawa only 21-24 years after we bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a a lot more interesting.  I tried to wrangle a trip to Iwo, but never could swing it.  It was, and may still be, off limits except to a very elite bunch of people, one of which I ain't.

 

Later, in the Corps in 19774-1974 I was only twent mile for Hiroshima and taught conversational English to Japanese adults every Friday night for ten months.  Again very interesting.  Having a class of three American teaches and 20 some students as guides was great.

 

[PowderRiverCowboy]

Just now, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

I have been watching a lot of WWII documentaries and some movies.  After two weeks and a dozen or so DVDs I suddenly realized that we lost about a man a minute on Iwo.

 

Being stationed on Okinawa only 21-24 years after we bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a a lot more interesting.  I tried to wrangle a trip to Iwo, but never could swing it.  It was, and may still be, off limits except to a very elite bunch of people, one of which I ain't.

 

Later, in the Corps in 19774-1974 I was only twent mile for Hiroshima and taught conversational English to Japanese adults every Friday night for ten months.  Again very interesting.  Having a class of three American teaches and 20 some students as guides was great.

 

Been there once with a Iwo Vet  I knew along with a couple you might have heard about , a good friend named Jack Lucas and some guy named R Lee Ermy . Awesome place and yes I snuck home some sand . 

[Still hand Bill]

I read the book about it.  A truly brutal battle.  The Japanese figured we didn’t have the stomach to take that type of losses as a country.  Problem was, news was so slow, the battle was over before the public knew how bad it was.   No way the US would win that battle with todays news cycle.  

[PowderRiverCowboy]

7 minutes ago, Still hand Bill said:

I read the book about it.  A truly brutal battle.  The Japanese figured we didn’t have the stomach to take that type of losses as a country.  Problem was, news was so slow, the battle was over before the public knew how bad it was.   No way the US would win that battle with todays news cycle.  

We sat in Guam the day before we flew to Iwo and listened to Jack and Gene talk with R Lee asking questions ( he filmed that next day there for his show )  as a combat vet just listening to these guys (also a code talker there) was something 

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

My dad was at Iwo Jima aboard the battleship USS Idaho BB-42.  Dad was a quartermaster seaman first and his battle station was on the bridge at the wheel.

 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

When our son commissioned, at the USMC Museum in Triangle in '15, I walked the museum for 2 days. I got to meet a Marine veteran, at the Iwo display,  who was 18 at the time he went ashore. I literally had chills when I shook his hand, because I knew I was touching a live hero. One of the true "highlights" of all the people I've met in my life. Ooh Rah!

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

The Book Flags of Our Fathers really brought the story to life.

[PowderRiverCowboy]

1 hour ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

The Book Flags of Our Fathers really brought the story to life.

The Movie if you havent seen it is decent also ,  The Iwo vet I went with to 60th on Iwo he had a signed book to him from Bradley, And some here have bought gun parts from Jack First(local here ) He is named in the book .