A veterans story from Tarawa

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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A veterans story from Tarawa

Post by armydriver »

The following story was told 5to me by Robert Talbot, a corporal in the 2nd Marine Division. He was in the first wave of troops that were slaughtered by the Japanese as they tried to gain a hold on the shoreline at Tarawa. Bob, being 6'2" was taller than most of his counterparts during the invasion. As the slaughter increased, future movie and television star Eddy Albert began to gather wounded men into a Higgins boat and thake them to a destroyer off shore. Robert( Bob) was tall enought to hold some of the wounded heads above the water and then get them into the Higgins boats. Himself, wounded by a bullet in the leg was the last one to get transport back to the destroyer.
As he lay on the deck, the Marine general " Howling Mad" Smith yelled down to him and asked how badly he was wounded. When he replied the general looked at him and yelled back, " That ain't good enough, get back on the beach Marine."
Bob got the Purple heart that day and luckely survived that horrendous battle and is my good friend and neighbor , still today.
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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