Author: SgtGrit

Homecoming

Homecoming

I first met Jim at one of the monthly Marine Parent lunches that Karen and I regular attend. I got to sit next to Jim and we spoke almost the whole two hours we were there. Jim served in the Marines during WWII. He was there in the Marshall Islands, he was there on Saipan, and he was there at Iwo Jima. A PFC when he landed on Iwo, he left the Marine Corp as a Corporal. A couple of things struck me about Jim as we spoke; he enjoys the interaction with people and he has a good sense of humor. I kept thinking I wish my Dad was still with us so he could meet Jim too. read more

Iwo Jima Cemetery

Iwo Jima Cemetery

Hello,

Don’t forget Friday night, October 20th will be the opening of “Flags of Our Fathers” at a theater near you. For those of you in Oxford, MS I don’t know for sure if it will be at the MALCO Cinema or the new ScreenWorks Cinema. I will send another email after I find out Monday. In Oxford we will have 2 Iwo Jima Veterans, Mr.. Paul Sharrer from Oxford for sure and one possible from Pontotoc. I don’t want to give out his name until I am sure he is going to participate. You should see a couple of announcements in the Oxford Eagle about this event later in the week. We will honor these heroes along with the rest of our World War II heroes prior to the movie beginning. The attached picture was provided by Paul Sharrer and it shows the cemetery at Iwo Jima prior to it’s completion. Marines of the 4th MarDiv are buried on the left and Marines of the 3rd MarDiv are buried on the right. It is a sober reminder of the sacrifice our fellow Marines made for all of us. I hope you will plan on attending this movie wherever you are. It would be outstanding if Marines and veterans from across our country would plan on attending this monumental event. This motion picture will be a blockbuster event at a time when our enemies perceive us to be weak. If you and all of our veterans can make a show of force in attending this movie, wearing your hats, uniforms and pins, we can show everyone around the world that we support our Corps, Country and fellow Veterans. Please pass this email to as many as you can and I hope to read a headline the next week that reads something like this: “Veterans from across the United States attend the opening of Flags of Our Fathers in a show of support for our troops, veterans and Country.” read more

Iwo Jima Ka Bar

Iwo Jima Ka Bar

Sgt Grit,

I just ordered the Iwo Jima Anniversary Ka-Bar and other items from your company and I wanted to share some photos and story of my father with you.

My father John F. Jarvis served on Iwo Jima as a Master Sergeant with the 2nd Separate Engineer Battalion attached to the 5th Amphibious Corps (patch on his right shoulder in photo). He joined the Marine Corps on December 8th, 1941 and sailed for the Pacific in October 1942. He was promoted to Sergeant aboard ship and then participated in the occupation and defense of Guadalcanal from January 1943 to July 1944 where he was promoted to Staff Sergeant on February 1, 1943 and then to Supply Sergeant (Gunny) on December 1, 1943. read more

Remembering Peter

Remembering Peter

I have written to Sgt. Grit several times before and appreciate you adding a couple of them to the newsletter. I would like to add somewhat of a post script to one of my previous submissions. I wrote about Peter Kakadelis , who served with the 4th Division in WW2 and saw action on Roi Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He was a grunt in the first three campaigns but was transferred to the 14th Marines for Iwo. That transfer probably spared him from being killed or wounded on Iwo as the grunts took the brunt of the casualties. And while his 155 was hit and killed several of his buddies, he walked off unscathed…..that was quite a miracle in itself, walking off Iwo without a scratch. You may recall that in my previous story, Peter was the one who made doughnuts on Iwo and the CO had to post guards around him……Peter was a wonderful man, a stand up Marine, and an inspiration to me and many others. Peter passed away last year and we all miss him terribly.

I made my third trip to Iwo Jima this past March and with the blessing of Peter’s wife and two sons, I buried some of his ashes on the beach where he came in that chaotic morning of February 19,1945. I felt his spirit with me on the beach that day and as I looked up at Mt. Suribachi, I also felt the spirit of all the Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice during that pivotal battle. Peter came as close to death that day as he rushed to the terraces on the beach as the fifth wave rumbled in. In the heat of the moment, Peter left his pack on a jeep that was also in the landing craft. He took two steps to retrieve the pack when a Japanese round hit the boat and completely destroyed it, killing a number of Marines and sailors. As I stepped back from the memorial I had left on the beach for Peter, I found five .30 caliber rounds setting in the sand……hard to believe that after 60 years, they were still there. I wondered…..were these Peter’s……each relic has it’s own story and I couldn’t help but wonder what had caused those rounds to be dropped or lost. I was honored to bring back Peter to Iwo to be with many of his buddies and am grateful to his wonderful family for allowing me that honor. read more