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On the verge of bringing 139 war dead home from Tarawa
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Researchers: 139 WWII Marines entombed on atoll
November 26, 2008 - 3:30am
In this undated image released by Jim Johnson, his father Clayton William Johnson, left, is seen next to his uncle James Bernard Johnson. James Bernard was seventeen when he was killed in the Tarawa Atoll during World War II. He was buried in a mass grave on the atoll. Jim Johnson of Marathon, Fla. is on a quest to identify those buried in what could become the largest identification of American war dead in history. (AP Photo/Jim Johnson,HO) By MELISSA NELSON
Associated Press Writer
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man's quest to find hundreds of U.S. Marines buried anonymously after one of World War II's bloodiest battles could lead to the largest identification of American war dead in history.
Researchers used ground-penetrating radar, tediously reviewed thousands of military documents and interviewed hundreds of others to find 139 graves. There, they say, lie the remains of men who died 65 years ago out in the Pacific Ocean on Tarawa Atoll.
Mark Noah of Marathon, Fla., raised money for the expedition through his nonprofit, History Flight, by selling vintage military aircraft rides at air shows. He hopes the government will investigate further after research is given to the U.S. Defense Department in January _ and he hopes the remains are identified and eventually returned to the men's families.
"There will have to be convincing evidence before we mount an excavation of any spot that could yield remains," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Office.
U.S. government archaeologists would likely excavate a small test site first, he said.
James Clayton Johnson never met his uncle, James Bernard Johnson, who died on Tarawa at age 17. But Johnson, who was named for his father's brother, never forgot that young Marine.
Now 60 and living near Noah in the Florida Keys, Johnson learned of the effort to identify the burial sites of his uncle and 541 other missing U.S. Marines on Tarawa while researching his uncle's military records online.
More than 990 U.S. marines and 680 sailors died and almost 2,300 were wounded in the three-day battle, one of the first major amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Johnson, himself a veteran who led special forces troops into Cambodia as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader during the Vietnam War, isn't sure having his uncle's body returned to the U.S. would provide any sort of closure.
"There aren't any open wounds for me that need fixing," he said.
But Johnson wants the world to know about the volunteers committed to preserving the names and stories of thousands of American soldiers.
"My problem is that people don't care," he said. "I get pumped up, and I want people to think and look at things like this."
Noah, a 43-year-old commercial pilot and longtime World War II history buff, raised the $90,000 for the Tarawa work by selling rides at air shows and partnering with The American Legion, VFW and other groups.
Noah and Massachusetts historian Ted Darcy of WFI Research Group reviewed eight burial sites they believe contain U.S. remains. They say the claim is backed by burial rosters, casualty cards and combat reports; interviews with construction contractors who found human remains at the sites and locals who have found American artifacts; and other information.
But they'll leave the digging to the U.S. government, so the archaeological integrity of the sites isn't spoiled.
The names of many fallen soldiers were lost as U.S. Navy crews rushed to build desperately needed landing strips on the tiny atoll after the Nov. 20, 1943, invasion. Many of the graves were relocated.
The military didn't focus on identifying the soldiers who died at Tarawa until 1945, when an Army officer was tasked with unraveling the hasty reburials.
"You could sense his frustrations in his reports," said Noah, who reviewed all the burial records.
The brief telegram James Hildebrand's grandmother received on Dec. 26, 1943, said her 20-year-old son died on Tarawa Atoll and included this line: "On account of existing conditions the body if recovered cannot be returned at present. If further details are received you will be informed."
James Hildebrand, now 65 and living in Gilroy, Calif., said his grandmother wrote letters to the Navy for years trying to recover his uncle's body.
He'd like to know whether the remains could be buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii with a group of unidentified U.S. soldiers taken from Tarawa many years ago. And he hopes the Defense Department will try to find his uncle's body on Tarawa.
"If he's still on the island ... there's space in our family plot in Tucson where he could be buried. It would mean a lot to our family," he said.
For 10 years, Merill Redman of Illinois has ultimately been encouraged by reports of efforts to find his brother's body on Tarawa. He's been disappointed each time.
Redman, now 79, was 14 when his older brother joined the Marine Corps and left their small town of Watseka. He's even traveled to Tarawa himself, trying to find his brother and bring him home.
"Each little thread," he said, "it drives me on in this project."
Mark Noah of Marathon, Fla., raised money for the expedition through his nonprofit, History Flight, by selling vintage military aircraft rides at air shows. He hopes the government will investigate further after research is given to the U.S. Defense Department in January _ and he hopes the remains are identified and eventually returned to the men's families.
"There will have to be convincing evidence before we mount an excavation of any spot that could yield remains," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Office.
U.S. government archaeologists would likely excavate a small test site first, he said.
James Clayton Johnson never met his uncle, James Bernard Johnson, who died on Tarawa at age 17. But Johnson, who was named for his father's brother, never forgot that young Marine.
Now 60 and living near Noah in the Florida Keys, Johnson learned of the effort to identify the burial sites of his uncle and 541 other missing U.S. Marines on Tarawa while researching his uncle's military records online.
More than 990 U.S. marines and 680 sailors died and almost 2,300 were wounded in the three-day battle, one of the first major amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Johnson, himself a veteran who led special forces troops into Cambodia as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader during the Vietnam War, isn't sure having his uncle's body returned to the U.S. would provide any sort of closure.
"There aren't any open wounds for me that need fixing," he said.
But Johnson wants the world to know about the volunteers committed to preserving the names and stories of thousands of American soldiers.
"My problem is that people don't care," he said. "I get pumped up, and I want people to think and look at things like this."
Noah, a 43-year-old commercial pilot and longtime World War II history buff, raised the $90,000 for the Tarawa work by selling rides at air shows and partnering with The American Legion, VFW and other groups.
Noah and Massachusetts historian Ted Darcy of WFI Research Group reviewed eight burial sites they believe contain U.S. remains. They say the claim is backed by burial rosters, casualty cards and combat reports; interviews with construction contractors who found human remains at the sites and locals who have found American artifacts; and other information.
But they'll leave the digging to the U.S. government, so the archaeological integrity of the sites isn't spoiled.
The names of many fallen soldiers were lost as U.S. Navy crews rushed to build desperately needed landing strips on the tiny atoll after the Nov. 20, 1943, invasion. Many of the graves were relocated.
The military didn't focus on identifying the soldiers who died at Tarawa until 1945, when an Army officer was tasked with unraveling the hasty reburials.
"You could sense his frustrations in his reports," said Noah, who reviewed all the burial records.
The brief telegram James Hildebrand's grandmother received on Dec. 26, 1943, said her 20-year-old son died on Tarawa Atoll and included this line: "On account of existing conditions the body if recovered cannot be returned at present. If further details are received you will be informed."
November 26, 2008 - 3:30am
In this undated image released by Jim Johnson, his father Clayton William Johnson, left, is seen next to his uncle James Bernard Johnson. James Bernard was seventeen when he was killed in the Tarawa Atoll during World War II. He was buried in a mass grave on the atoll. Jim Johnson of Marathon, Fla. is on a quest to identify those buried in what could become the largest identification of American war dead in history. (AP Photo/Jim Johnson,HO) By MELISSA NELSON
Associated Press Writer
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man's quest to find hundreds of U.S. Marines buried anonymously after one of World War II's bloodiest battles could lead to the largest identification of American war dead in history.
Researchers used ground-penetrating radar, tediously reviewed thousands of military documents and interviewed hundreds of others to find 139 graves. There, they say, lie the remains of men who died 65 years ago out in the Pacific Ocean on Tarawa Atoll.
Mark Noah of Marathon, Fla., raised money for the expedition through his nonprofit, History Flight, by selling vintage military aircraft rides at air shows. He hopes the government will investigate further after research is given to the U.S. Defense Department in January _ and he hopes the remains are identified and eventually returned to the men's families.
"There will have to be convincing evidence before we mount an excavation of any spot that could yield remains," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Office.
U.S. government archaeologists would likely excavate a small test site first, he said.
James Clayton Johnson never met his uncle, James Bernard Johnson, who died on Tarawa at age 17. But Johnson, who was named for his father's brother, never forgot that young Marine.
Now 60 and living near Noah in the Florida Keys, Johnson learned of the effort to identify the burial sites of his uncle and 541 other missing U.S. Marines on Tarawa while researching his uncle's military records online.
More than 990 U.S. marines and 680 sailors died and almost 2,300 were wounded in the three-day battle, one of the first major amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Johnson, himself a veteran who led special forces troops into Cambodia as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader during the Vietnam War, isn't sure having his uncle's body returned to the U.S. would provide any sort of closure.
"There aren't any open wounds for me that need fixing," he said.
But Johnson wants the world to know about the volunteers committed to preserving the names and stories of thousands of American soldiers.
"My problem is that people don't care," he said. "I get pumped up, and I want people to think and look at things like this."
Noah, a 43-year-old commercial pilot and longtime World War II history buff, raised the $90,000 for the Tarawa work by selling rides at air shows and partnering with The American Legion, VFW and other groups.
Noah and Massachusetts historian Ted Darcy of WFI Research Group reviewed eight burial sites they believe contain U.S. remains. They say the claim is backed by burial rosters, casualty cards and combat reports; interviews with construction contractors who found human remains at the sites and locals who have found American artifacts; and other information.
But they'll leave the digging to the U.S. government, so the archaeological integrity of the sites isn't spoiled.
The names of many fallen soldiers were lost as U.S. Navy crews rushed to build desperately needed landing strips on the tiny atoll after the Nov. 20, 1943, invasion. Many of the graves were relocated.
The military didn't focus on identifying the soldiers who died at Tarawa until 1945, when an Army officer was tasked with unraveling the hasty reburials.
"You could sense his frustrations in his reports," said Noah, who reviewed all the burial records.
The brief telegram James Hildebrand's grandmother received on Dec. 26, 1943, said her 20-year-old son died on Tarawa Atoll and included this line: "On account of existing conditions the body if recovered cannot be returned at present. If further details are received you will be informed."
James Hildebrand, now 65 and living in Gilroy, Calif., said his grandmother wrote letters to the Navy for years trying to recover his uncle's body.
He'd like to know whether the remains could be buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii with a group of unidentified U.S. soldiers taken from Tarawa many years ago. And he hopes the Defense Department will try to find his uncle's body on Tarawa.
"If he's still on the island ... there's space in our family plot in Tucson where he could be buried. It would mean a lot to our family," he said.
For 10 years, Merill Redman of Illinois has ultimately been encouraged by reports of efforts to find his brother's body on Tarawa. He's been disappointed each time.
Redman, now 79, was 14 when his older brother joined the Marine Corps and left their small town of Watseka. He's even traveled to Tarawa himself, trying to find his brother and bring him home.
"Each little thread," he said, "it drives me on in this project."
"We are so glad you all made it back safe and sound." ~ Regina
James Hildebrand, now 65 and living in Gilroy, Calif., said his grandmother wrote letters to the Navy for years trying to recover his uncle's body.
He'd like to know whether the remains could be buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii with a group of unidentified U.S. soldiers taken from Tarawa many years ago. And he hopes the Defense Department will try to find his uncle's body on Tarawa.
"If he's still on the island ... there's space in our family plot in Tucson where he could be buried. It would mean a lot to our family," he said.
For 10 years, Merill Redman of Illinois has ultimately been encouraged by reports of efforts to find his brother's body on Tarawa. He's been disappointed each time.
Redman, now 79, was 14 when his older brother joined the Marine Corps and left their small town of Watseka. He's even traveled to Tarawa himself, trying to find his brother and bring him home.
"Each little thread," he said, "it drives me on in this project."
Researchers: 139 WWII Marines entombed on atoll
November 26, 2008 - 3:30am
In this undated image released by Jim Johnson, his father Clayton William Johnson, left, is seen next to his uncle James Bernard Johnson. James Bernard was seventeen when he was killed in the Tarawa Atoll during World War II. He was buried in a mass grave on the atoll. Jim Johnson of Marathon, Fla. is on a quest to identify those buried in what could become the largest identification of American war dead in history. (AP Photo/Jim Johnson,HO) By MELISSA NELSON
Associated Press Writer
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man's quest to find hundreds of U.S. Marines buried anonymously after one of World War II's bloodiest battles could lead to the largest identification of American war dead in history.
Researchers used ground-penetrating radar, tediously reviewed thousands of military documents and interviewed hundreds of others to find 139 graves. There, they say, lie the remains of men who died 65 years ago out in the Pacific Ocean on Tarawa Atoll.
Mark Noah of Marathon, Fla., raised money for the expedition through his nonprofit, History Flight, by selling vintage military aircraft rides at air shows. He hopes the government will investigate further after research is given to the U.S. Defense Department in January _ and he hopes the remains are identified and eventually returned to the men's families.
"There will have to be convincing evidence before we mount an excavation of any spot that could yield remains," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Office.
U.S. government archaeologists would likely excavate a small test site first, he said.
James Clayton Johnson never met his uncle, James Bernard Johnson, who died on Tarawa at age 17. But Johnson, who was named for his father's brother, never forgot that young Marine.
Now 60 and living near Noah in the Florida Keys, Johnson learned of the effort to identify the burial sites of his uncle and 541 other missing U.S. Marines on Tarawa while researching his uncle's military records online.
More than 990 U.S. marines and 680 sailors died and almost 2,300 were wounded in the three-day battle, one of the first major amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Johnson, himself a veteran who led special forces troops into Cambodia as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader during the Vietnam War, isn't sure having his uncle's body returned to the U.S. would provide any sort of closure.
"There aren't any open wounds for me that need fixing," he said.
But Johnson wants the world to know about the volunteers committed to preserving the names and stories of thousands of American soldiers.
"My problem is that people don't care," he said. "I get pumped up, and I want people to think and look at things like this."
Noah, a 43-year-old commercial pilot and longtime World War II history buff, raised the $90,000 for the Tarawa work by selling rides at air shows and partnering with The American Legion, VFW and other groups.
Noah and Massachusetts historian Ted Darcy of WFI Research Group reviewed eight burial sites they believe contain U.S. remains. They say the claim is backed by burial rosters, casualty cards and combat reports; interviews with construction contractors who found human remains at the sites and locals who have found American artifacts; and other information.
But they'll leave the digging to the U.S. government, so the archaeological integrity of the sites isn't spoiled.
The names of many fallen soldiers were lost as U.S. Navy crews rushed to build desperately needed landing strips on the tiny atoll after the Nov. 20, 1943, invasion. Many of the graves were relocated.
The military didn't focus on identifying the soldiers who died at Tarawa until 1945, when an Army officer was tasked with unraveling the hasty reburials.
"You could sense his frustrations in his reports," said Noah, who reviewed all the burial records.
The brief telegram James Hildebrand's grandmother received on Dec. 26, 1943, said her 20-year-old son died on Tarawa Atoll and included this line: "On account of existing conditions the body if recovered cannot be returned at present. If further details are received you will be informed."
James Hildebrand, now 65 and living in Gilroy, Calif., said his grandmother wrote letters to the Navy for years trying to recover his uncle's body.
He'd like to know whether the remains could be buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii with a group of unidentified U.S. soldiers taken from Tarawa many years ago. And he hopes the Defense Department will try to find his uncle's body on Tarawa.
"If he's still on the island ... there's space in our family plot in Tucson where he could be buried. It would mean a lot to our family," he said.
For 10 years, Merill Redman of Illinois has ultimately been encouraged by reports of efforts to find his brother's body on Tarawa. He's been disappointed each time.
Redman, now 79, was 14 when his older brother joined the Marine Corps and left their small town of Watseka. He's even traveled to Tarawa himself, trying to find his brother and bring him home.
"Each little thread," he said, "it drives me on in this project."
Mark Noah of Marathon, Fla., raised money for the expedition through his nonprofit, History Flight, by selling vintage military aircraft rides at air shows. He hopes the government will investigate further after research is given to the U.S. Defense Department in January _ and he hopes the remains are identified and eventually returned to the men's families.
"There will have to be convincing evidence before we mount an excavation of any spot that could yield remains," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Office.
U.S. government archaeologists would likely excavate a small test site first, he said.
James Clayton Johnson never met his uncle, James Bernard Johnson, who died on Tarawa at age 17. But Johnson, who was named for his father's brother, never forgot that young Marine.
Now 60 and living near Noah in the Florida Keys, Johnson learned of the effort to identify the burial sites of his uncle and 541 other missing U.S. Marines on Tarawa while researching his uncle's military records online.
More than 990 U.S. marines and 680 sailors died and almost 2,300 were wounded in the three-day battle, one of the first major amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Johnson, himself a veteran who led special forces troops into Cambodia as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader during the Vietnam War, isn't sure having his uncle's body returned to the U.S. would provide any sort of closure.
"There aren't any open wounds for me that need fixing," he said.
But Johnson wants the world to know about the volunteers committed to preserving the names and stories of thousands of American soldiers.
"My problem is that people don't care," he said. "I get pumped up, and I want people to think and look at things like this."
Noah, a 43-year-old commercial pilot and longtime World War II history buff, raised the $90,000 for the Tarawa work by selling rides at air shows and partnering with The American Legion, VFW and other groups.
Noah and Massachusetts historian Ted Darcy of WFI Research Group reviewed eight burial sites they believe contain U.S. remains. They say the claim is backed by burial rosters, casualty cards and combat reports; interviews with construction contractors who found human remains at the sites and locals who have found American artifacts; and other information.
But they'll leave the digging to the U.S. government, so the archaeological integrity of the sites isn't spoiled.
The names of many fallen soldiers were lost as U.S. Navy crews rushed to build desperately needed landing strips on the tiny atoll after the Nov. 20, 1943, invasion. Many of the graves were relocated.
The military didn't focus on identifying the soldiers who died at Tarawa until 1945, when an Army officer was tasked with unraveling the hasty reburials.
"You could sense his frustrations in his reports," said Noah, who reviewed all the burial records.
The brief telegram James Hildebrand's grandmother received on Dec. 26, 1943, said her 20-year-old son died on Tarawa Atoll and included this line: "On account of existing conditions the body if recovered cannot be returned at present. If further details are received you will be informed."
November 26, 2008 - 3:30am
In this undated image released by Jim Johnson, his father Clayton William Johnson, left, is seen next to his uncle James Bernard Johnson. James Bernard was seventeen when he was killed in the Tarawa Atoll during World War II. He was buried in a mass grave on the atoll. Jim Johnson of Marathon, Fla. is on a quest to identify those buried in what could become the largest identification of American war dead in history. (AP Photo/Jim Johnson,HO) By MELISSA NELSON
Associated Press Writer
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man's quest to find hundreds of U.S. Marines buried anonymously after one of World War II's bloodiest battles could lead to the largest identification of American war dead in history.
Researchers used ground-penetrating radar, tediously reviewed thousands of military documents and interviewed hundreds of others to find 139 graves. There, they say, lie the remains of men who died 65 years ago out in the Pacific Ocean on Tarawa Atoll.
Mark Noah of Marathon, Fla., raised money for the expedition through his nonprofit, History Flight, by selling vintage military aircraft rides at air shows. He hopes the government will investigate further after research is given to the U.S. Defense Department in January _ and he hopes the remains are identified and eventually returned to the men's families.
"There will have to be convincing evidence before we mount an excavation of any spot that could yield remains," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Office.
U.S. government archaeologists would likely excavate a small test site first, he said.
James Clayton Johnson never met his uncle, James Bernard Johnson, who died on Tarawa at age 17. But Johnson, who was named for his father's brother, never forgot that young Marine.
Now 60 and living near Noah in the Florida Keys, Johnson learned of the effort to identify the burial sites of his uncle and 541 other missing U.S. Marines on Tarawa while researching his uncle's military records online.
More than 990 U.S. marines and 680 sailors died and almost 2,300 were wounded in the three-day battle, one of the first major amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Johnson, himself a veteran who led special forces troops into Cambodia as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader during the Vietnam War, isn't sure having his uncle's body returned to the U.S. would provide any sort of closure.
"There aren't any open wounds for me that need fixing," he said.
But Johnson wants the world to know about the volunteers committed to preserving the names and stories of thousands of American soldiers.
"My problem is that people don't care," he said. "I get pumped up, and I want people to think and look at things like this."
Noah, a 43-year-old commercial pilot and longtime World War II history buff, raised the $90,000 for the Tarawa work by selling rides at air shows and partnering with The American Legion, VFW and other groups.
Noah and Massachusetts historian Ted Darcy of WFI Research Group reviewed eight burial sites they believe contain U.S. remains. They say the claim is backed by burial rosters, casualty cards and combat reports; interviews with construction contractors who found human remains at the sites and locals who have found American artifacts; and other information.
But they'll leave the digging to the U.S. government, so the archaeological integrity of the sites isn't spoiled.
The names of many fallen soldiers were lost as U.S. Navy crews rushed to build desperately needed landing strips on the tiny atoll after the Nov. 20, 1943, invasion. Many of the graves were relocated.
The military didn't focus on identifying the soldiers who died at Tarawa until 1945, when an Army officer was tasked with unraveling the hasty reburials.
"You could sense his frustrations in his reports," said Noah, who reviewed all the burial records.
The brief telegram James Hildebrand's grandmother received on Dec. 26, 1943, said her 20-year-old son died on Tarawa Atoll and included this line: "On account of existing conditions the body if recovered cannot be returned at present. If further details are received you will be informed."
James Hildebrand, now 65 and living in Gilroy, Calif., said his grandmother wrote letters to the Navy for years trying to recover his uncle's body.
He'd like to know whether the remains could be buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii with a group of unidentified U.S. soldiers taken from Tarawa many years ago. And he hopes the Defense Department will try to find his uncle's body on Tarawa.
"If he's still on the island ... there's space in our family plot in Tucson where he could be buried. It would mean a lot to our family," he said.
For 10 years, Merill Redman of Illinois has ultimately been encouraged by reports of efforts to find his brother's body on Tarawa. He's been disappointed each time.
Redman, now 79, was 14 when his older brother joined the Marine Corps and left their small town of Watseka. He's even traveled to Tarawa himself, trying to find his brother and bring him home.
"Each little thread," he said, "it drives me on in this project."
"We are so glad you all made it back safe and sound." ~ Regina
James Hildebrand, now 65 and living in Gilroy, Calif., said his grandmother wrote letters to the Navy for years trying to recover his uncle's body.
He'd like to know whether the remains could be buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii with a group of unidentified U.S. soldiers taken from Tarawa many years ago. And he hopes the Defense Department will try to find his uncle's body on Tarawa.
"If he's still on the island ... there's space in our family plot in Tucson where he could be buried. It would mean a lot to our family," he said.
For 10 years, Merill Redman of Illinois has ultimately been encouraged by reports of efforts to find his brother's body on Tarawa. He's been disappointed each time.
Redman, now 79, was 14 when his older brother joined the Marine Corps and left their small town of Watseka. He's even traveled to Tarawa himself, trying to find his brother and bring him home.
"Each little thread," he said, "it drives me on in this project."
That's a highly interesting story -thanks for posting it- I had no idea that many Marines were left behind and unaccounted for. I've read just about every book written on Tarawa but also assumed there was a maximum effort after the battle or after the war to locate graves and return the fallen to the U.S. You'd think as small as the island was it would have been an easier task.
Below are two photos: the first shows an LVT-1 that was unearthed on Tarawa in 1979 (odd that it would have been 'buried' in the first place) - when discovered, it had the bodies of 3 Marines in it. The second photo shows the same vehicle years later - sad to see the state of disrepair and neglect.
JohnB/
Below are two photos: the first shows an LVT-1 that was unearthed on Tarawa in 1979 (odd that it would have been 'buried' in the first place) - when discovered, it had the bodies of 3 Marines in it. The second photo shows the same vehicle years later - sad to see the state of disrepair and neglect.
JohnB/
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My dad was in the Regimental Weapons Company, 6th Regiment, 2nd Marine Divison. He landed on green beach on the west end of Tarawa. He never would volunteer anything about combat. He only spoke about hardships in general such as sleeping in the mud of Guadalcanal or getting busted for fishing with hand grenades because he was tired of Spam. My dad was bitter because of all the young guys he saw killed. He said after the battle on Tarawa ended he was assigned to helping gather the bodies of Marines for burial. Since he volunteered that much I blurted out, "What did you do during the battle?". He said that he carried a flame thrower. I never asked any more about Tarawa.
Once during a time when there seemed to be a lot of people apologizing for atom bombing Japan, I asked my dad if he thought that was wrong. He said no, that he wished they had the bomb sooner and had more of them. If they had there would have been, a lot of guys that he knew that would still be alive. One of them might have been his twin brother, of the 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Iwo Jima.
Once during a time when there seemed to be a lot of people apologizing for atom bombing Japan, I asked my dad if he thought that was wrong. He said no, that he wished they had the bomb sooner and had more of them. If they had there would have been, a lot of guys that he knew that would still be alive. One of them might have been his twin brother, of the 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Iwo Jima.
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3,000 Posts
This story has been going around for some time now and ir simply amazes me.
I thought that we had more efficient ways of handling this situation by that time.
It will be interesting to see how this evolves.
An airman's remains were returned to my hometown a few years ago, found in a wreck on the Hump.
Still had some family here.
I thought that we had more efficient ways of handling this situation by that time.
It will be interesting to see how this evolves.
An airman's remains were returned to my hometown a few years ago, found in a wreck on the Hump.
Still had some family here.
Joined
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835 Posts
The military channel ran a documentary about this. A landing craft "driver" (would you call him a pilot??? I'm a landlubber...) went back. Seemed like the US government really didn't care, as far as the documentary was concerned. I missed half of it, looking for the dog that decided to take an adventure, but I know they are still playing it.
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5,390 Posts
I for one am glad that all those fallen warriors are being returned home where they belong.
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19,009 Posts
It is about time and sad it took so long for it to happen. I am sure it will make any of their surviving family members feel less loss.
Tarawa
I saw the special last night on History Channel and all I can say is " What else is new?" There is nothing in the United States more expendable than a service man or woman. Let's see.... Howlin Mad Smith said Tarawa was a " mistake" I remember hearing Pelelui was another " mistake" How about the Huertgen Forest?? Oh yeah, Ike devoted one line in his memoirs to that " unfortunate occurrance"
Wars are fought, good people are butchered and bulldozed and all the rest is bull---.
Countries have their own interests at heart and it has and will be so until the Final Bugle sounds.
The money we pour into these places and they won't even pick up their own S---?
It will be the ultimate irony when that accursed place sinks.
AL D'AMORE USMC 1967-1972 RVN
I saw the special last night on History Channel and all I can say is " What else is new?" There is nothing in the United States more expendable than a service man or woman. Let's see.... Howlin Mad Smith said Tarawa was a " mistake" I remember hearing Pelelui was another " mistake" How about the Huertgen Forest?? Oh yeah, Ike devoted one line in his memoirs to that " unfortunate occurrance"
Wars are fought, good people are butchered and bulldozed and all the rest is bull---.
Countries have their own interests at heart and it has and will be so until the Final Bugle sounds.
The money we pour into these places and they won't even pick up their own S---?
It will be the ultimate irony when that accursed place sinks.
AL D'AMORE USMC 1967-1972 RVN
Joined
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102,177 Posts
Well, burials may not have been properly marked and not all remains properly recovered (and MOST of that is inexcusable), but i wouldn't say that the men who fell on Tarawa, or Peleliu, were "unaccounted for". That is a term of art in military personnel affairs, meaning "he's not around but we don't know how come or where it might have been".
Tarawa was an attack that had a lot of mistakes in it, but the operation itself probably wasn't. Peleliu (and Anguar) was a mistake from the get-go. Operation wasn't required, carrying it through after the landing wasn't required, and the way it was handled wasn't well-done either. A lot of very brave men died for no good reason.
I'd sure like to see any remains left on Tarawa recovered, identified and repatriated.
Tarawa was an attack that had a lot of mistakes in it, but the operation itself probably wasn't. Peleliu (and Anguar) was a mistake from the get-go. Operation wasn't required, carrying it through after the landing wasn't required, and the way it was handled wasn't well-done either. A lot of very brave men died for no good reason.
I'd sure like to see any remains left on Tarawa recovered, identified and repatriated.
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I saw the special on The Military Channel and was very interesting. Incredible how some GI's remains are still there in limbo. There was another case with several Marine Raiders discovered buried at Makin who I think were captured and executed by the Japanease.
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Garandomatic
The landing craft "driver" who not only went back but got others to help in the rescue was Lt. Eddie Heimberger, also known as Eddie Albert, the actor, and the ship he was assigned to was the Sheridan--APA 51.
The landing craft "driver" who not only went back but got others to help in the rescue was Lt. Eddie Heimberger, also known as Eddie Albert, the actor, and the ship he was assigned to was the Sheridan--APA 51.
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excellent accurate.
good story, <><dk
good story, <><dk
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835 Posts
We're talking about two different things, I think. I'm referring to a man with the first or last name of Leon, I can't recall which. He went there in the last couple of years to get the ball rolling on cleaning up the beaches and return AMerican dead. I think I have heard of the instance that you are referring to though.
Now that I think of it, "skipper" might be the best term for me to have used. I know the rank of captain and the act of being captain of a boat or ship aren't always the same, so I didn't know what to say exactly.
Now that I think of it, "skipper" might be the best term for me to have used. I know the rank of captain and the act of being captain of a boat or ship aren't always the same, so I didn't know what to say exactly.
Garandomatic,
I think your looking for Leon Cooper, USN who operated a landing craft during the Tarawa invasion and has a movie on History channel about the deplorable conditions on Tarawa in 2009. Try www.tarawaontheweb.org and go to the forum page
Bob
I think your looking for Leon Cooper, USN who operated a landing craft during the Tarawa invasion and has a movie on History channel about the deplorable conditions on Tarawa in 2009. Try www.tarawaontheweb.org and go to the forum page
Bob
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Interesting thread. I am heading to Tarawa this Sunday for eight days. There's a book out called "Tarawa Grave Diggers" about the MIAs.
-Eric
-Eric
In his memoirs Grant said he always regretted that the last attack at Cold Harbor was made.
I am unfamiliar with the laws and agreements covering US war cemeteries, is there any particular reason why a US cemetery has not been established on Tarawa and these other Pacific islands?
I am unfamiliar with the laws and agreements covering US war cemeteries, is there any particular reason why a US cemetery has not been established on Tarawa and these other Pacific islands?
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A landing craft driver is a "Cox'n", just as with a small boat.
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Now that rings a bell! Thanks.
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