Sgt Grit Marine Forums

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Peleliu/index.html

 

Thank you for posting this John. I will read this fully in the near future, I did look at the Aviation part. My neighbor, now in his early 80's was with VMF-114 and has told me many stories of the Pilots back then. One of them was a Actor that played a Doctor on General Hospital many years ago. Don't know the Actor's name, I'll have to ask my neighbor, he told me, but the brain housing group is not working today.

A little story to go along with this post. Several years ago, I asked my Marine neighbor, who he was with and he said VMF-114. I searched the internet about a hour after our talk and saw a listing of several Marines with e-mail addresses from WWII and the same Squadron. Sent a message to them asking if they might know my neighbor. Got a reply from a Marine in California stating not only did he know my neighbor, but my neighbor was in his wedding when they returned to the States. He said he had goose bumps on him as the day I sent the e-mail it was their  Wedding Anniversary.

Eddie me boy:  What a great story!!!

links:

Thank you for posting this John. I will read this fully in the near future, I did look at the Aviation part. My neighbor, now in his early 80's was with VMF-114 and has told me many stories of the Pilots back then. One of them was a Actor that played a Doctor on General Hospital many years ago. Don't know the Actor's name, I'll have to ask my neighbor, he told me, but the brain housing group is not working today.

A little story to go along with this post. Several years ago, I asked my Marine neighbor, who he was with and he said VMF-114. I searched the internet about a hour after our talk and saw a listing of several Marines with e-mail addresses from WWII and the same Squadron. Sent a message to them asking if they might know my neighbor. Got a reply from a Marine in California stating not only did he know my neighbor, but my neighbor was in his wedding when they returned to the States. He said he had goose bumps on him as the day I sent the e-mail it was their  Wedding Anniversary.

 

That was a great story Ed, it got me enthused, so I looked up the actor from GH, seeing the bride watches soaps all the time.

Was his name Louis Zamperini? If it was, he has a most interesting story to relate about his experiences during WWII. He was a hero in his own right.

Thanks for the link also Brother John, I will read that when I get a chance.

 

Keep the Faith

My neighbor, now guarding the Pearly Gates, was a vet of the 1st Amphib Trac Bn.  When the 50th anniversary of this battle was "celebrated" ABC had a special on it.  Jim invited me to his house to watch with him.  He had never spoken of his service but wanted someone who would "know" to watch with him.  He was amazed at the film from the battle as he had never seen any photogs.  One of the scenes is of Marines lowering a body down the side of one of thise steep coral ridges.  he recognized the scene and told me the dead Marine was actually a Corpsman who had fraudulantly enlisted at 16 and was awaiting being shipped out.  The kid had picked up a binocular and was waxed by a sniper.  After the show and the revelation of how much of a waste of Marines it was he was pretty mad.  He showed me his discharge paper and on the back was his record.  He had made every landing with the 1st MarDiv from the S. Pacific to Oki.  He got out as a PFC and went to work in the building industry in Miami as an iron worker.  He was a great guy and was really touched when I gave him a USMC decal for his vehicle. 

Links. . . The actor your thinking of is the same actor in an old film. . . "Opt. Pacific" with John Wayne. . . he was the "Flyer" they picked up, its the same guy. . .

I always wonder about the folk who proclaim actions such as Peleliu and Tarawa to have been purposeless, or unneeded, useless. Such proclamations seem to require access to alternate universes where the actions were not conducted and no harm resulted.

 

I was fortunate as I left the 1stMarDiv. prior to th eir landings on  Peletiu Island (Malaria). I am amazed at the

Arm Chair Generals, now that all these campaigns are history, telling us that this campaign and that campaign

was not necessary. At the time, I am sure that those that planned them were not of that opinion  and had good

reasons for initiating them, yes our casualties were high, but remember nothing the Marines were giving were

easy! While MacArthur cautiously inched his way up, bypassing islands, only attacking those that he KNEW he

could conquer, and only doing so, when he had the equipment and advantage to do so, while CINPAC was given

the nasty tasks of mopping up the islands that stood in the way to Japan, and that task was given to the MARINES

and when thing got a little rough, we were crucified in the newspapers as WAS THIS NECESSARY?  If it wasn't

why was it given to us in the first place.  Perhaps history has proven these mistakes were made, but I assure

you that way back then THEY WERE NECESSARY, regardless of the cost.  Now who's going make my Vodka &

Tonic? Poppa Gene

From what I'm remembering from reading the history the attack on P was to protect Mac's flank in the PI.  The Army moved so well that teh original purpose was obsolete.  However, the JCS went with the original plan.  Was the attack neccessary - not for the original reason but it worked if killing Japs was enough of a reason.

links:

Thank you for posting this John. I will read this fully in the near future, I did look at the Aviation part. My neighbor, now in his early 80's was with VMF-114 and has told me many stories of the Pilots back then. One of them was a Actor that played a Doctor on General Hospital many years ago. Don't know the Actor's name, I'll have to ask my neighbor, he told me, but the brain housing group is not working today.

A little story to go along with this post. Several years ago, I asked my Marine neighbor, who he was with and he said VMF-114. I searched the internet about a hour after our talk and saw a listing of several Marines with e-mail addresses from WWII and the same Squadron. Sent a message to them asking if they might know my neighbor. Got a reply from a Marine in California stating not only did he know my neighbor, but my neighbor was in his wedding when they returned to the States. He said he had goose bumps on him as the day I sent the e-mail it was their  Wedding Anniversary.

Now that is down right spooky. So did they re-establish contact after all those years?

  Semper Fidelis,
    Chris

Chris wrote-Now that is down right spooky. So did they re-establish contact after all those years?

Yes Chris, they did re-connect via phone calls. The Marine in California  died a couple of years after they had re-connected. He was a few years older than the other Marines from the phone conversations that I had with him. He told me they called him Pop.