Mr. William N.
Tackitt was stationed at Misawa Air Force Base, Japan at the
outbreak of the Korean War. Mr. Tackitt was on TDY
(Temporary Duty) at Iwo Jima when war broke out.
Below are a series of
images taken by Mr. Tackitt during his short tour of the
island.
It should be noted that
some of the images near the bottom of this series of images
are of importance. They were taken five years following the
bloody fighting for the island in February and March
1945.
Some of the images show
destruction that occurred during this heavy fighting. The
equipment in these stunning images lay there for five years
following the intense battle and remained there as mute
testimony to the brutality of the fighting going on between
determined American Marines and equally determined Japanese
soldiers and Marines.
Images are worth a
thousand words.
These images speak
volumes!
----- the
web master
TDY Quansont
huts on Iwo Jima. Circa 1950.
"The first
picture of the quansan huts are the ones we stayed in on Iwo
Jima. The water tower between the two huts had the insigna
that Air Rescue used on Iwo Jima (a sea-sick cat wearing a
Mae West life perserver."
"The picture
was taken on the Island of Iwo Jima at the outbreak of the
Korean War. We were pulling "strip alert" at the time. A
japanese worker came by and stole the hat a couple of hours
after the picture was taken. I guess he needed a good hat.
Ha. We were there when the war broke out but due to war time
traffic on the radios, we could not find out where war had
started."
Iwo Jima --
APO815 -- Post Exchange on Iwo Jima. Circa 1950.
Japanese
skull, helmet and machine gun belt on Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
"Japanese
skull and bullets. There were still a few in caves and
tunnels. We went into one that had opened up due to cave in
below it that had a skeleton of a japanese officer there. He
was still covered with some of his uniform.
As we were
looking, someone stepped on a board that was under the
skeletons hand and it looked like he saluted us because the
board threw his hand up.
We vacated
the area very quickly. Ha."
"Slow Down"
sign on Iwo Jima. Circa 1950.
Cave on
southern side of the island, just above the Invasion Beaches
on Iwo Jima. Circa 1950.
Invasion
beaches damaged and destroyed equipment on Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
Invasion
beaches damaged and destroyed equipment on Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
Invasion
Beaches -- destroyed equipment -- on Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
Invasion
Beaches -- destroyed equipment -- on Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
The "Rock"
-- Mt. Suribachi. Looking to southwest. Notice an artillery
piece to left side of the bend in the road. Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
"I was
stationed at Misawa AB when the Korean war broke out,
however I was TDY on Iwo Jima at the start of Korean War.
Confusing isn't it. Ha. Our rescue unit pulled strip alert
on Iwo Jima and I just happened to be there when the North
Koreans invaded the south. We couldnt find out what was
happening as communications were all tied up with war
traffic and it was coded. A ham operator tried to find out
and was told to shut up and get off the air unless was
handling wartime traffic. That really got us to
going."
Road to Mt.
Suribachi -- color image -- Iwo Jima. Note the access road
circling the volcano as it leads to the top. This is
apparently a color version of the image depicted above.
Circa 1950.
Remnants of
Japanese defenses near base of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima.
Circa 1950.
At the "Flag
Raising Memorial" atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Circa
1950.
Biography
of William N. Tackitt
Now you can
read the most interesting life story of William N. Tackitt
as written by himself.
Biography
of William N. Tackitt
Note: To
view images taken by the web master of World War II Stories
-- In Their Own Words during his year on Iwo Jima, please
click on the following link to my World War II Stories Photo
Album:
WW
II Stories: Iwo Jima Photo Album
1965-1966
Did YOU serve on Iwo Jima?
Did you know
that there is a group of veterans who have gotten together
to form an association of servicemen, no matter what branch
of service, who served at one time or another starting at
the invasion of the island on February 19, 1945 and
continuing until the island was eventually returned to the
Japanese in 1968?
Iwo
Veterans Organization
We, at the
Iwo Jima Memoirs web site wish to offer
to Mr. Joseph Pellam our most profound THANK YOU for his
poignant story of his personal experiences -- during his
tour of Iwo Jima and especially for allowing us to share
those memories.
Original story/images transcribed on 13 June
2004.
Did YOU serve
on Iwo Jima?
Do YOU
have a story to tell?
Do YOU have a picture or pictures
that tells a story?
Contact me,
Joe Richard and I can help by adding YOUR story to my site
devoted to veterans who served on Iwo Jima.
If You Would
Like to E-mail us, Click on the Image Below:
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Copyright 2001-2007
Iwo Jima Stories
All Rights Reserved
Updated on 19 October 2007...1918:05
CST
