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"...and
the beaches ran red with blood..."
...describes
the scene of the beginning of the American invasion of this
Japanese held island, Iwo Jima, in the Bonin islands chain
600 miles to the south of Tokyo. Up until this time most
Marines had never heard of this tiny island shaped like a
"pork chop" which measured about a mile at its widest point
and seven miles at its longest point.
They would
soon find out a lot about this tiny hell hole in the
Pacific. Over 6,000 would never return home alive.
A few years
ago, a marine visitor went to the island after obtaining
permission and was appalled as to the conditions of the
monuments to the fallen Americans...they were in deplorable
condition and overgrown by island vegetation. What a
terrible way to remember the sacrifices of so many Americans
who shed their blood on this small island.
Following the
battle for Iwo Jima, the highest praise possible was
bestowed upon the men who endured -- with the simple but
eloquent words:
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"Among the men who fought on Iwo
island,
uncommon valor was a common virtue."
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, March
1945
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A sample of black Iwo Jima sand
from the invasion beach designated as Green-1 which
was the beach closest to Mt. Suribachi.
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The following
pages are new. They are intended as a tribute to anyone who
served on this isolated island in the Pacific. This new site
begins simply enough with the story of this web master who
spent a year on the island. I served with the United States
Air Force as a weather observer/radiosonde operator. My year
on Iwo Jima was in the latter half of 1965 and the first
half of 1966.
Many hours
were spent "boon docking" -- traveling around the island on
foot along with friends to check out the historic landmarks
and to see if we could discover new and hidden treasures. We
had to be very careful during those trips for some areas
still contained unexploded ordinance.
Below you will
find links to a number of stories from servicemen who served
on Iwo Jima -- also known as "Sulfur Island" or "the Black
Pearl" to name but a few.
I would like
to expand this small web site as a tribute to the servicemen
who were stationed on Iwo Jima from February 1945 until 1968
when the island was officially returned to the Japanese
government.
This makes the
servicemen who were there on the island members of a unique
group of men who are fairly small in number, considering the
length of time that the island was in American possession
and the small number of servicemen who were stationed on the
island.
If you were a
member of this unique group of "Black Pearl Veterans" and
would care to contribute your story, I will happily add it
to my web pages.
Joe
Richard
Det. 12, 20th Weather
Squardon,
U. S. Air Force 1962 -
1966
Iwo Jima Aerial
Images
Aerial Image of Iwo Jima dated mid year
1967.
Source
of the photographs is the 6100 Support Wing History, Volume
1, Jan-Mar l968 assigned to the Fifth Air Force, Pacific AIr
Forces, stationed at Tachikawa Air Base Japan.
Image courtesy of the Air Force Historical Research
Agency
Overhead Aerial Image of Iwo Jima dated
1959.
Source
of the photographs is the 6100 Support Wing History, Volume
1, Jan-Mar l968 assigned to the Fifth Air Force, Pacific AIr
Forces, stationed at Tachikawa Air Base Japan.
Image courtesy of the Air Force Historical Research
Agency
Interesting to
note: While I was stationed on Iwo Jima (July 1965-1966),
the island had changed dramatically since this overhead
image was taken in 1959. The main air base was still there
with it's single long runway and curved apron. However the
second airstrip (just to left of the large base) and the
third airstrip (barely seen as an outline between the main
base and Mt. Suribachi in bottom of photo) were all but
gone...obliterated by the ever encroaching
vegetation.
I am searching
for aerial (preferrably directly overhead) images of Iwo
Jima taken in the 1960's. If anyone has any idea as to where
I might be able to obtain some decent images taken during
this time frame, I would appreciate your letting me
know.
Note: The
background illustrated throughout this web site is an image
of the black volcanic sand from Invasion Beach Green-1,
which was the invasion beach located at the base of Mt.
Suribachi.
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Did you serve on Iwo
Jima?
We have
just begun a list of service personnel who have
served on Iwo Jima between 1945 and 1968 when the
island reverted back to Japan.
We would be
honored to add your name to the growing list of Iwo
Jima Veterans.
Iwo
Jima Veterans
List Added on 1 June
2010
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Robert
Hall Ayers, PFC
Co.
A., 2nd Sep. Engineers Bn., 1943 -
1946
Time
on Iwo: 20 February 1945 - April
1945
United
States Marine Corps
Story Added on 14
September 2011
"...I found
out many things while on that
campaign&emdash;mainly that my fear is pushed out
of sight by the hate which I have for them.
It is something far stronger than anything I ever
felt before. You might call it a
craze&emdash;ha ha..."
Explaination
of
Japanese
Defence Plan
and
Battle of Iwo Jima
by
Major Y. Horie
Story Added on 23 January 2008
A document revealing the defence of Iwo Jima and
observations of the battle as seen from the
Japanese side of the battle. The document is from
from interviews with Major Y. Horie after the war.
Major Horie was a staff officer of Lt. General
Kuribayashi. He survived the battle because he had
been sent to Chi Chi Jima the morning of the 19
February 1945 for supplies.
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An
Impressive Link: Iwo
Jima Photo Album
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Keith
W. Johnson
"The
Rest of the Story"
1st
Radio Intelligence Platoon,
Iwo
Jima, February 19, 1945
U.
S. Marine Corps
Story Added on 13 November 2007
"...Being in
intelligence we knew which outfits were fighting
ashore and we knew the going was rough, but we were
never in contact with the fighting units as our
main job in intelligence was to copy enemy
transmissions and locate the
stations..."
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William
"Bill" Newbauer:
L.C.V.P.
Engineer,
U.
S. Navy, Iwo Jima, February 20,
1945
Story Updated on 21 July 2002
"...These high swells continued in to shore,
although now a little smaller but still very strong
with a rip tide effect. We immediately broached,
the starboard side was crushed in and we were
pulled out about a hundred feet, to be tossed
about. We scrambled over the lowered ramp and made
it to shore..."
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Tom
M. Trotti
Lt.
Col. 3/26th, 5th Marine Division,
U.
S. Marine Corps, KIA, Iwo Jima, February 22,
1945
Story Updated on 25
November 2007
"...At about 0940, while attempting
to pull his battalion together, Lieutenant Colonel
Trotti was killed, as was his operations officer,
Major William R. Day..."
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Iwo
Jima, Feb. 23, 1945,
First
Flag Raising
An
Eyewitness Account
by
Radioman Raymond Jacobs
Story added on 16 March 2004.
"...Today, almost 60 years after the event,
inaccurate information continues to be circulated
about the identity of the Marines and Corpsmen who
took part in the events that day on
Suribachi..."
Mr. Jacobs
has contacted us at World War II Stories -- In
Their Own Words and has asked us for assistance in
"telling his story" of his participation on the
patrol which ascended Mt. Suribachi to raise the
FIRST American Flag as the battle for the Iwo Jima
raged on down below. Read his account and look at
evidence that places Mr. Jacobs in the patrol led
by. Lt. Shrier on February 23, 1945.
Conclusions:
Iwo
Jima, Feb. 23, 1945,
First
Flag Raising
An
Eyewitness Account
by
Radioman Raymond Jacobs
Story added on 14 October
2004.
Conclusions! A letter recently
received from Mr. Jacobs on conclusions made
regarding Mr. Jacobs photographic evidence. This
report is both interesting and informative. Decide
for yourself.
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Gareth
W. Rosson
Sgt.,
Ordinance 199th Depot & 3605th HAM
Shop,
U.
S. Army
Stationed
on Iwo Jima
1946-1947
Story Added on 6 March 2007
"...The
room was HOT around 105 with a terrible smell.
There were 5 or 6 Japanese soldiers, fully clothed,
on the floor on the other end of the room. Their
bodies were dried like leather. We didn't go down
to the next level due to the stench and
heat..."
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Raoul
M. Ilaw
147
ACS Squadron, GCA Final Flight
Controller
U.
S. Air Force
Stationed
on Iwo Jima
September
1946
Story Added on 22
October 2007
"... We
would tie cord around each of our waists as we
toured the dark caves with machine guns, I
understand that there was an article in
1949/50, N. Y. World Telegram describing a Japanese
Marine that surrended during that
period!...."
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William
N. Tackitt, S/Sgt.
Stationed
TDY on Iwo Jima
U.
S. Air Force, 1950
Story Added on 13 June 2004
"...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..."
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Charles
Tibbetts,
Airman
Ground
Radio Operator, AACS
U.
S. Air Force
Station
on Iwo Jima: 1955
Story Added on 8
February 2008
"...These pictures were
taken with an old Argus C-3 camera but you can
still see how some things looked then. The
Marines were there going over the island looking
for unexploded shells, etc., and I think they are
barely visible down the shore..."
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Howard
E. Fornof,
GySg., USMC
(Ret)
Foxtrot,
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines
Fleet
Marine Forces Pacific
March
1952-September 1972
Story Added on 21 February 2005
"...I had
the opportunity to I first visited Iwo in 1955 when
our company F/2/3 was selected to be the aggressors
force in a divisional exercise where the 3rd
Marines from Camp Fuji Japan and the 9th Marines
from Camp Sukiran Okinawa boarded ships..."
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Harold
Spear
A
. Co., 802nd Heavy Construction
Engineers
Iwo
Jima, December 1956 - May 1957
U.
S. Army
Story Added on 2 January
2004
"...was in
the mess tent eating breakfast when the ground
started to shake and we heard a very loud
explosion. We rushed outside to see large rocks and
and steam blowing several feet in the air. The
ground had opened up between the runway and Mt.
Sarabachi ..."
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Ronald
Armstrong
A
2/C, Water Plant Operator
U.
S. Air Force
Stationed
on Iwo Jima
February
1957 - February 1958
Story Added on 21
October 2007
"...
We were transported around the perimeter of
the island and told to move toward the
interior. Well, most any sound set off
a volley of gunfire. It was a miracle no one
was hit. No invaders were found...."
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Fred
Puente
USAF
Air Traffic Control Squadron,
1964th
AACS
Stationed
on Iwo Jima
U.
S. Air Force, April 1958 - April
1959
Story Added on 19 October 2004
"...We
could also draw 30 caliber ammo from the Air Police
and do some "plinking" around the island at cans,
sharks or whatever moved..."
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Charles
Simon
U.
S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps
Officer
Construction, Far East
TDY
on Iwo Jima
Early
1960's
Story Added on 22
October 2007
"...After
it had been up for a short time, a connector
between the cable guy and insulator failed under
metal fatigue. The insulator, about the size of a
luxury size car swung into the tower and hit it
quite hard about 500 feet up the tower. It did a
hell of a job knocking the tower out of plumb but
it stood..."
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John
L. Wick, M.D. (Retired)
Medical
Doctor, Stationed on Chichi Jima
September
1964 - August 1966
Iwo
Jima Memory
February
1965
Story Added on 23
October 2007
"...It was
in February, 1965, exactly 20 years after the
invasion. It was breezy up there, and too
cool for comfort, but very clear. I remember
the monument with the American flag waving, and the
sound of the brass fittings of the flag pole
banging in the breeze. Even today, when I
hear that sound, my mind goes back to Iwo
Jima. Looking down at that invasion
beach was the most awe inspiring experience of
my life..."
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Joseph
L. Richard
Det.
12, 20th Weather Sq.,
My
Time on Iwo: July 1965 - July 1966
Story Added on 4 November
2002
The following is an exerpt from the story
About the year that I served on Iwo Jima.
"...After my arrival one of the first things to do
was the 'island tour of new arrivals' which was
conducted by a couple of the old hands (names
escape me) and we all hopped into the back of the
base pick up truck..."
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Joseph
Pellam
USS
Midway, Antisubmarine,
Wyverns
(HS-12)
Civilian
Worker on Iwo Jima
Stationed
in 1993
Story Added on 21 February 2005
"...I went
to the top of Suribachi and stood on the spot where
the worlds most famous photograph was taken as well
as hiking down into the crater and down the other
side..."
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An
Important Web Page About Iwo Jima
The
following link will take you to the most up to date
listing of Americans killed during the battle for
the island in 1945. There are also additional
important links for anyone researching the
battle.
A must see
web site!
Listing
of the Dead From the Battle of Iwo
Jima
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
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:
©
Copyright 2001-2011
Iwo Jima Stories
All Rights Reserved
Updated on
14 March 2012...1011:05 CST
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note: On 4/1/12, my guestbook with "GuestGear" will
cease to function. As of today, I am in the process
of replacing that guest book with the one here...If
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Sorry
for the inconvenience...
Thank
You!
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