Frank,
It’s 65 years since your brother Marines raised the flag on Iwo Jima. Of course us Air Force guys had your back from 20,000 ft.

Mike, thanks for remembering. I sent an email to each of our Marine members ystrdy reminding them of this.

The invasion of Iwo Jima began on 19Feb45. Nearly 77,000 US Marines of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions took part in the largest invasion in the history of mankind to that time. Only the battle of Okinawa, two months later, was larger. For the battle of Iwo Jima, both the Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of the War Department (later "Defense") were in attendance for some reason, and actually went ashore after the initial assaults.

22,000 Japanese defenders had dug in UNDER the island and awaited the Marines. In the 37-day battle, more than 19,000 US Marines were wounded, 6,821 were killed, and more than 21,000 Japanese died. Fewer than 400 Japanese were taken alive, and those had been shot or blasted so badly they couldn't fight or commit Seppuku. Only about half the Japanese prisoners of war survived captivity.

One third of all the US Marines who were killed during WWII, died on Iwo Jima! Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines for that battle, more than any other single engagement in our Corps' history. "Uncommon Valor was a common virtue" was said of the Marines on Iwo, and that phrase has lived thru to today.

Five days into the battle (23Feb45), members of "E" Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division raised a small flag atop Mount Suribachi, the only 550ft hill on tiny Iwo Jima. It was the first time in nearly 600 years that any foreign flag had been raised over Japanese soil.

Less than 2 hrs later, that small flag was ordered replaced with a larger one, so the whole island could see it (including the Japanese). Five Marines and a US Navy Corpsman raised the second flag at noon. News photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped a photograph of the flagraising from his hip, without aiming or focusing. It became the best-known photograph of the war, and was made into the world's largest bronze statue in 1954.

I have personally viewed both flags raised that day, carefully preserved and displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico Virginia.

We here in CT lost 100 Marines in that battle. Their names are inscribed in our memorial statue in Newington.

Thank you Mike, for remembering this. And thank you for your military service to our country.
(Salute).

Frank

We Paratroops/Rangers beat up on the Marines (and vice-versa) in
friendly inter-service rivalry, calling them Jarheads and worse, and of
course debating (sometimes with great ferocity) which is the better
fighting force. But I will tell you firsthand, and with great respect, a
tidbit about my first assignment in Viet Nam.

I was with the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division in Quang Tri Province,
the last area north before you cross the Ben Hai River into North Viet
Nam. We were more or less colocated with and fighting alongside I think
it was the 1st Marine Division, and we mutually supported one another.
Consequently I got to know a number of the Marine officers and NCOs,
and was in a position to notice what they did and how well they did it.

As we say in Texas, "I garn-dam-tee ya" I want those guys on my side
in any war I might fight, and not fighting against me! BTW Marine Col.
(then Capt.) Harvey (Barney) Barnum, from Cheshire CT, earned the
Medal of Honor in that area of operations.

Semper Fi from me, too! ~Rick~

_________________
All Z Best,.......Kathy & Rick

1969 Z.CAR (#00013 10/69) 8/30/76
1969 ITSA.Z (#00171 11/69) 8/24/73
1970 OLD.Z (#06289 6/70) original owner
1971 510 2dr since 12/31/75
1969 1600 rdstr (our 160-Z)
1971 (#19851 1/71) sold
1975 75.Z (#01343 1/75)

Didn't know you knew Barney "If I can Stand here you can Land here" Barnum!

Then-Lt Barnum was an Artillery officer stationed in Okinawa. He was selected for promotion to Captain and wanted to get some more field experience before receiving his "railroad tracks". He volunteered for a brief 2 week Temporary Additional Duty in Vietnam so he could learn how effective US Artillery actually was in real combat. He was attached to Hotel 2/9, 3rdMarDiv, a Marine grunt company, as their Forward Observer.

On his 3rd day in Vietnam (Dec65), his unit walked into an ambush near Ky Phu in Quang Tin province. The Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, First Sgt and Radio operator were killed within the first half-minute of the firefight. Barnum found himself the only officer left alive, and took command. He formed a hasty perimeter and directed fire and maneuver as needed to effectively suppress the firepower of the numerically superior (and concealed) enemy. He strapped the radio (read, "bullet magnet") to his own back and established Comm with HQ.

He used his own artillery to liquidate targets which were less than 30 yrds away from his own position ~ repeatedly. Still, the battle went on for hours. Barnum wanted his wounded evacuated and called in MedEvacs. But when the Army Dustoff choppers arrived and saw the battle was still in progress, they declined to land, telling him the LZ was too hot.

Barnum swore into the radio and, standing up in the middle of the firefight, marched into the center of the open landing zone. He looked up at the helicopters and waved his arms, yelling into the mike, "LOOK! YOU SEE ME HERE??? THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR *&*&* HELICOPTERS RIGHT NOW! IF I CAN STAND HERE, YOU CAN LAND HERE!!"

16 bullets ripped thru Barney's uniform and pack while he stood there supervising the evacuation of his wounded Marines. He was not hit.

He then led an assault against the numerically-superior enemy which drove them from their entrenched positions and turned the ambush into an American victory.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor.

My hat is off to all that have served our country. Thank you.

_________________
Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

By the way, "Barney" Barnum remained in the Corps for a full and rewarding career, earning more than 20 additional decorations. Today he is retired and is the sitting President of the Medal of Honor Society.

As the Secretary of the Navy asked as he walked the bloody black-sand beach on Iwo Jima on 19Feb45, looking at the two thousand dead and wounded Marines who made the initial landing, "Where do we get such men?"

Where, indeed?

Semper Fi.

From the ranks of people who really care about this country and are
willing to demonstrate the fact. Not like those gutless wonders in the
House and Senate (with exceptions, of course) who have never been
within several thousand miles of a combat zone, but like to believe that
they know more about fighting wars than the professionals that are
trying to win despite all the meddling and underfunding by those who
purport to know everything about everything. Including (especially) the
individual who pretends he knows how to be a Commander in Chief
despite never having served one day in the Armed Forces.

Thanks for the use of the soap box, I paid my dues so I could stand on it.
~Rick~

_________________
All Z Best,.......Kathy & Rick

1969 Z.CAR (#00013 10/69) 8/30/76
1969 ITSA.Z (#00171 11/69) 8/24/73
1970 OLD.Z (#06289 6/70) original owner
1971 510 2dr since 12/31/75
1969 1600 rdstr (our 160-Z)
1971 (#19851 1/71) sold
1975 75.Z (#01343 1/75)

I was only an ER, enlisted reserve, in the US Army Engineers and never served overseas, My Dad was an Army MP in WW2 who recieved a commendation for doing his job under fire in the European theatre, My Mom was in the WACS as a physical therapist, My oldest Brother served numerous tours in VietNam as a Diesel Mechanic in the Engineers, my middle Brother served in the Marines and was lucky to remain stateside being attached to New River air station.... It disgusts me when our "Comm in Chief" refers to our people serving in the Military as "corpsemen", How stupid can this guy be, gimmeabreak....

_________________
Now on my 15th/update/16th Zcar, Z's4vr....

Know something, Tom? It's a mighty good thing they never sent you into combat ~ you would have made a very big target!

This is a long shot...but did any of you veterans knew maj. Larry Thorne? Hi passed '65 over Laos.