Category: World War II

27th Marines on Iwo Jima Story

BLOOD PROMOTIONS: 27th Marines on Iwo Jima
Submitted by Chuck Tatum

Major Justin G. Duryea was the original commander of the 1st Bn 27th Marines. When he came aboard, he brought his staff from the parachute training school located at Camp Gillispie, California.

When Lt. Col Butler came aboard, the major moved up to regimental headquarters and became the 27th Marines operations officer. He received a promotion to Lt. Col. As an operation officer, he was in charge of plans and training. That chore included devising operational plans for all the battalions of the 27th Marine Regiment.

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Back Alley Bridge Rules

Rules of the Game
Sumitted by Gary F. Taylor

1. Start each player ( 4 total played with partners ) getting thirteen cards. This will leave two cards left over (you use the jokes as the big and little bloopers).

2. Turn over 53rd card and it will be trump.

3. Each player bids as to how many tricks he can take. Each team of partners is totaled; i.e. North bids 5, East bids 2, South bids 3, and West bids 2. That totals 12 of a possible 13 tricks.

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Japan’s Atomic Bomb: We almost lost all

Japan’s Atomic Bomb
by Leon Thompson

(Reprinted with permission of Military magazine, 2122 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. A sample copy of Military may be obtained by writing to the above address)

While reading the article by William B. Breuer entitled “Hiroshima bomb saved lives” (Oct. ’94, pg. 39), I had to chuckle to myself, because he is on the right track, but doesn’t know the half of it; the bomb saved two nations!

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Iwo Jima Landing and Flag Raising Commemoration in Sacat Arizona

February 20 and 21, 2009 – 64th Anniversary Iwo Jima Landing and Flag Raising Commemoration in Sacaton, Arizona

"The flag doesn't wave because the wind blows it. It waves with the last breath of every service member that has given his life for this grand and great nation." Marshall Tall Eagle Serna

On February 19, 1945, a large contingent of Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima facing an equally substantial army of Japanese defenders. One of the bloodiest, fiercest four days of combat ensued. Iwo Jima became the most populous 7 square miles on the planet as U. S. Marines and Japanese soldiers fought a battle that would test American resolve symbolizing a free society's willingness to make the sacrifice necessary to prevail over evil. A SACRIFICE AS RELEVANT TODAY AS IT WAS THEN.

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Story of Rat Revenge in Guadalcanal

“‘Rats!’ said McBane”
By: Charles L. Fontenay

Guadalcanal, at the time I was there, was a tropical paradise of sticky heat, coconuts, and mud, land crabs and Japanese bombers that drove us to the fox holes every night or so…and rats. Our contingent of military novices was housed in tents at Lunga Beach, and the rats looked in our tents as the nightly equivalent of Disney Land.

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133rd Seabees in the 4th Marine Division

133rd Seabees Stay Unsung
Submitted by John Ratomski

The Fourth Marine Division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Iwo Jima battle and the 133rd Seabee Battalion was not, although: 1) the 133rd was part of the 4th Marine Division from Nov. 1, 1944 until March 1945 2) The 133rd was not a support unit, but was used as a Marine Pioneer Battalion during the battle. 3) The 133rd NCB and the 4th Pioneer Battalion both became shore parties for the 23rd and 25th Regimental Combat Teams of the 4th Marine Division for the assault phase on Iwo-Jima. Official Battle Plans on record show this. 4) The Presidential Unit Citation declared that the Pioneer units were assault units and did not state that the133rd were support troops, therefore the 133rd would have to be considered assault troops. 5) The entire 133rd landed with the first waves and suffered 40% casualties. That exceeded the casualties of the 4th Pioneer Battalion. The 4th Pioneers were awarded the Citation the 133rd was not. 6) The 133rd acted in the same capacity as the 4th Pioneer Battalion for the 23RCT, wearing issued Marine uniforms, subject to Marine regulations as part of the Fourth Marine Division. assault team and not as a support group. 7) In addition they were awarded 10 Bronze Stars and 29 Fourth Marine Division Commendations in recognition for their part in the assault phases of operations. 8) The 133rd NCB wore its uniform proudly as Navy and wore its uniform proudly as Marines! They served both with distinction. They earned and deserve the recognition that is still not theirs.

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