Category: World War II
The Pacific
The Pacific
Sgt. Grunt,
My father was a Marine Torpedo Bomber (TBF) aircrew in VMTB-143 on Guadalcanal in the October 1942 time period. He has been watching ?The Pacific? with great enthusiasm and he related to me that, after watching what the line companies went through, he realized he had it pretty good after all. Of course he didn?t realize it at the time, but his war was so much different from the line companies. Some of the things he related:
RIP SSGT Gene S. Richards
RIP SSGT Gene S. Richards
Several months ago you ran a picture of my dad in Sasebo Japan and one of myself in Desert Storm in Sgt. Grit. I have attached that picture again.
My dad Gene S. Richards passed away Sunday May 9th in Salt Lake City Utah. He was an Iwo Jima Marine and watched the second flag go up, participated in the occupation of Japan and was a drill instructor after the war at MCRD San Diego. In Nov. 1940 half of his bootcamp platoon would later go to Wake Island.
WWII WMs and Honor Flights
WWII WMs and Honor Flights
Sgt Grunt,
Last month Honor Flight flew 97 aging but vibrant WWII Vets flew from Madison Wisconsin to Washington, DC. to visit the WWII Memorial and return home in a one day blitz. This flight set the record for the most female WWII Vets on any flight in the history of the program, and it was noted that a vast majority of those women were WMs, or as they were called back then, WRs. Proud to say that my 86 year old Momma, Corporal Annette Howards, USMCWR, was standing front and center when the roll was called at the airport.
Marine Corps League
Marine Corps League
Plt. 1110, 1942
Plt. 1110, 1942
Sgt. Grit.
I was dragged along with my wife to the antiques fair (junk sale) at the old Alameda Naval Air Station in SF Bay. Bored out of my gourd, I took leave of my wife and started wandering around. Lo and Behold at one stand was this picture of Platoon 1110 from 1942 sitttin’ among a bunch of junk.
Mary Graham Knapp
Mary Graham Knapp
Mary Graham Knapp, born 15 December 1918, gone to guard heaven’s gates 29 march 2006. Mary served in the United States Marine Corps during WWII and was a past president of the Women marines Association. Mary was buried on Davis Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, with two former active duty female Marines and four active duty male Marines acting as her pallbearers. Rest in peace, dear sister.
Peleliu Island
Peleliu Island
Dear Sgt. Grit,
My stepson Graduated from MCRD San Diego in May of this year, and from S.O.I. last month. He is now in VA training for FAST.
Returning to San Diego brought back a lot of memories for me since the last time I was there, I WAS THERE! I can’t even describe how I felt when they called for anyone who had served in the Marines to stand and everyone clapped. I felt honored just to be standing among them and to be counted as one of them.
Okinawa Paradrop Run
Okinawa Paradrop Run
Marine R4Q Packet (Flying Boxcar) on way to dropzone on Okinawa in Nov., 1958
302nd Seabees Peleliu Photo
Submitted by John Ratomski
Photograph caption reads:
Peleliu was invaded on September 15, 1944. Pontoons were under the direction of Lieut.-Comdr. Littlejohn. Peleliu had been Jap-held for twenty years and it was the nearest strike, at the time, to the Philippines, some six hundred miles to the west. The reef was five hundred yards off-shore and entailed the longest causeway construction from ship to shore up to that time in the Pacific. The reef was in perfect Jap mortar range and they kept it well covered. Barges stood in close to refuel small craft and LVT's as the Marines kept driving further inland to stop the mortar fire. Surf delayed unloading operations as heavy seas broke over the causeways. A few days later, a new landing was made on the other side of the island. Tanks and guns came ashore and the Marines were fighting steadily on against the stubborn defender who was doomed.