Red Beach One

Stories about fighting in all theaters of WWII. I ask that these be stories directly from veterans and not previously published material.
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armydriver
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Red Beach One

Post by armydriver »

Empty Higgins boats, Alligators and the more sturdily armed Buffaloes
scurry about the mother ship in busy clouds of spray
like fat little infant pigs eagerly awaiting to be suckled
Marines are going over the side in groups of four
and their white knuckles grasp the verical strands of netting
There goes Egan, Whitney, Shearer and kid called Mouse.
The first men in the craft hold the net inside
to prevent anyone from falling between the boat and ship
Your turn soon. A man behind you coughs. Another swears.
The man you follow has a face like embalmed youth.
"Beach Red" by Peter Bowman 1945

Last night I spent two hours with my friend Bob Talbot as he related , to me, his experience at Tarawa in November of 1943. He was a young Marine corporal in the first wave of Marines headed into a living hell. When he left the boat into the neck high water, he suddenly realized that the situation was really bad. At well over 6 ft tall, Bob was one of the few that could stand with his head above the water while all around him Marines were dying in the hail of Japanese gunfire straffing the landing craft and disembarking Marines. He suddenly realized that he was one of the few in the initial wave that was unscathed, surrounded by the dead and wounded. He said he could see the landing craft crashing into each other as they scrambled in the deadly enemy fire, some of them exploding from the ammunition and supplies they were carrying. He made his way through the water, trying to keep his head just above the water in order to breath towards a blown up pier, all the while dragging two wounded Marines with him to safety. Hiding behind some logs under the pier, he kept the two wounded mens heads above water, not knowing if help would come or not nor how long he could hold out.
After a while he could hear the roar of a boat coming closer, and looking behind him , towards the American fleet, he could see a Higgins boat chugging through the water with a Naval officer grapping wounded Marines from the water and pulling them into the boat. He waved and started dragging his two men towards towards the boat. As he reached the boat, that was being straffed all the while by Japanese fire, he helped the officer lift the two men into the boat and then was pulled to saftey himself . Soon they were at the U.S.S. Schroder, a destroyer, where they were taken aboard. The Naval officer aboard the boat was Eddie Albert, the future movie and television star. Bob proudly took a letter from a shelf from Eddie Albert to him inviting him to sit with him at the upcoming 2nd Marine Division Tarawa re-union held several years ago.
Bob went back to the beach that day where he was wounded in the leg, but he continued to fight on for the next two days until the Japanese garrison had been destroyed.
I came away filled with pride. Pride felt for Bob Talbot and all those Marines that were willing to give all they had to give in order to keep us free. Pride in being an American and living in the greatest country on this earth. Before I got home I thanked God for men like my neighbor Bob Talbot . These men were,without a doubt, the greatest generation.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"

proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
snow man
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Post by snow man »

8) Cool story Armydriver , Keeping history alive !!
GMC CCKW 353, M29 weasel, 1/2 ton dodge, Ben Hur Trailer
armydriver
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Post by armydriver »

Thanks Snow Man.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"

proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
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