My father in law flew missions that helped take over Saipan and finally Tinian. He had 57 combat missions ranging from strafing to bombing and so forth.
My wife's uncle fought on Saipan and Tinian with the 23rd Marines, 4TH MARDDIV. He survived. Her other uncle was a TBM Avenger gunner off the Yorktown, but his plane was shot down west of Saipan, and he was killed defending the island from a Jap fleet sent to destroy the landing force.
My father was in a 4th Marine Division Pathfinder unit. In addition to his weapon, ammo, grenades, K-Bar, he brought a of of TNT with him as his unit's responsibility was to eliminate Japanese fortifications and armor as they set up communications posts.
The thumb nail photo for this video is of my Uncle. He was wounded several minutes after the photo was taken. He suffered from the wounds the rest of his life but never complained.
Appreciate the background information of why Saipan was selected as an objective. Obviously the japanese planners had identified its significance and reinforced more than known. Terrain is a huge factor for both attackers and defenders.
Lee Marvin, "I" Company, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. Wounded in action during the Battle of Saipan, in the assault on Mount Tapochau, during which most of his company were killed. Marvin's wound (in the buttocks) was from machine gun fire, which severed his sciatic nerve. Marvin was awarded the Purple Heart and was given a medical discharge with the rank of Private First Class in 1945 at Philadelphia.
He never seemed to be bothered by his severed sciatic nerve in the movies. Since I have both sciatic nerves bothering me I wonder if he had any pain or other problems with his legs or feet ? Just asking …
Alexander Peña, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian, He was KIA July 30th 1944 on Tinian, the island was declared secure Aug 1st, He almost made it home, R.I.P Uncle Alex, the Greatest Generation of All Time, God Bless America.
My wife's Grandfather, Bill Hinkle was a Marine Cpl with 24th Marines, he was shot in the hip about 1 week into the battle. Those men were of a different breed IMO.
My father was in the invasion. He was an Army Signalman who fought the enemy across Saipan in hand-to-hand combat. He said it was kill or be killed. I am a Vietnam combat Veteran. The cost of freedom is not free. We both sustained major wounds from our service.
Yes, the computer voice has quite a number of flaws, though that could be the script. I suggest an editor and a narrator, it would really enhance your video.
My father was there. He got shot that day and lost most of his left shoulder. Fought on tarwaraw, guadalcanal, pellilu, tinnian, and his last year on okinowa fighting the Japanese. 39 months in that hell hole before coming home in december of 45, as a gunny.
Ok so, lets look at the battles your father fought at in order. Guadalcanal (August 7th 1942 - February 9th 1943) Tarawa (November 20th - November 23rd 1943) Saipan (June 15th - July 9th 1944) Tinian (July 24th - August 1st 1944) Peleliu (September 15th - November 27th 1944) Okinawa (April 1st - June 22nd 1945) Since you said he was discharged as a Gunnery Sergeant (GSGT) he was a Marine. I also know he had to be a Marine as only Marines landed on Tarawa (Betio). And since only the 2nd Marine Division landed on Tarawa that means he had to be part of the 2nd Marine Division. This would be fine but, the 2nd Marine Division never landed on Peleliu. It was way too soon after their almost two month long fight in the Marianas. And considering your father's injury and the fact he was a Canal veteran who made it to Peleliu and survived, he should have been rotated back to the States to train new replacements for the upcoming Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns that followed right after Peleliu. I am just confused on what unit he served in, most likely he transferred to the 1st Marine Division as they were the only Marine division on the island.
@@EstonianShark so like i stated, i dont understand why the marine corps kept my father in but they did. Looking at his dd 214 i noticed that under the "remarks" section i see the military wrote, due to unavoidiable war conditions the information on this Dis certificate is incomplete. As one myself, of 5 marines in our family our father, we are all surprised that my father made it through the Marines Corps during that time.
Tararwa was the 2nd Marine Div in the Central Pacific. Guadalcanal and Peleliu was the 1st Marine Div in the South Pacific. The 1st Marine Div also fought on Okinawa. Tinian was either the 2nd or the 4th Marine Divs in the Central Pacific. You dad got around huh! That or you have something mixed up.
@@EstonianShark I noticed the trouble with that Pacfic tour of duty myself and just posted a response as well. My father was on Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima with the 4th Marine Div. I also had an uncle in the first Marine Div. There were no DD214's in WW2 as far as I know. My father never had one. According to Google - Were DD214's issued for veterans of World War II? The new Defense Department replaced the predecessor agency-the more frankly-named “War Department,” in 1947. Therefore, because there was no Defense Department at the time, DD214's were not issued to active duty military veterans of World War II. So much for that!
I always wonder what would have happened if the Japanese army and navy would have put aside pride and desire to prove themselves that put them in direct competition and even conflict with fellow soldiers and soldiers at all levels. The way the Japanese defended in depth in 1944 at peleliu and to a degree at iwo jima was absolutely brutal. No suicides of officers after losing a position. No mass banzai charges. Just bleeding the enemy at one defensive line as long as possible then falling back a few hundred yards to the next trench hill or cave and doing it again. The navy and the air force of both army and navy worked together and launched kamikaze attacks in speed boats and planes at troop ships and landing craft. Imagine if they fought the entire war that way
@@RonaldAndrew agreed on "winning" the war for Japan. But if they go defense in depth and make every island like peleliu where it took 2 months to take an island 6 miles long and 2 miles wide. They could have created a bad political situation at home in US and ended up with a negotiated peace
@@lando-sw6805 absolutely not what? Japan still would have lost the war but it could have gone on and on and easily lasted till 1947 if not 1950. It would have had a huge effect on the returning vets. We wouldn't have had that post war can do attitude optimism. I could see serious isolationism and no Korean or Vietnam war
A disembodied computer-generated voice often gives me "Clockwork Orange" vibes, most especially when it insists on pronouncing Holland Smith as Hoe-Land Smith. Some believe it's cheaper, I suppose -- but it would cost only pennies on the dollar to draw human professional voices from our vast pool of unemployed TV weathermen.
@@mickryan2450 no Mick, I know. The common soldier never start a war. That mistake is reserved for POLS and emporers. We, as MARINES just clean up the mess.
Dear Producer of this channel. You dont need bots reading the narrative. I can do it for free. This ai stuff is horrible. This info is too important. Just ask.
Corporal Vertucci's experience serving with the 4th Marine Division in the PTO - his 2005 interview: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yom8dh3HH50.html
