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(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!
"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.
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.
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.
Second Marine Division: Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Tanambogo, Gavutu, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa
Part One: Guadalcanal August 7, 1942-February 10, 1943
Part Two: Tarawa: November 20, 1943-November 23, 1943
Part Three: Saipan “War in the Canebrakes” June 15, 1944July 9, 1944
A few months back you published letters from Janice Miller of San Mateo and Charlie Leonard of Danville regarding V-E Day, V-J Day and the question of when WWII ended. The upcoming ceremonies at golden Gate National Cemetery on 17 February, 2001, to commemorate the 56th anniversary of the Marine’s landing on Iwo Jima started me thinking about some very little known facts about the war’s end.