Tarawa - November 20, 1943

[Waynem]

CAUTION: Graphic war violence

Tarawa

[sreigle]

Powerful film. Thanks, Wayne. It is particularly poignant for me. Two ships were sent into the lagoon at Betio in support of the landing. One was a destroyer, the USS Ringgold. My Dad was on that ship. During one of his duty cycles as the duty radioman in the radio shack he leaned down closer to the morse code apparatus to hear it better. At that point a shell went through sick bay, then through the radio shack right where his head had been a moment before, then the shell exited the other side and fell into the water. A dud. My Dad had a book written by someone on that ship. The book documented the episode with the dud but the author couldn't remember Dad's name. Still, that book meant something to Dad. When Dad passed away I looked for the book but never found it. Some day I will find a copy somewhere and I will buy it. Thanks again for the link. By the way, the ship took hits and had to be towed back to Pearl Harbor while riding on a severe list. I understand they considered scuttling the ship, not sure it could handle the ride, but decided to give it a go and scuttle only if they had to. They made it to Pearl and the Ringgold lived on to fight again.

[Art-n-Marge]

This was impressive. Many argue why the bomb was dropped on the Japanese and not the Germans. Those who argue against it forget most of the battles in the Pacific were like fighting D-Day invasions every time and the enemy could not retreat like the Germans and didn't want to become prisoners. They were totally different theaters and which yielded different outcomes.

None of us can imagine 76 hours of PURE NON-STOP HELL. Tarawa was not the only island that was taken in this way. Thank God for the Navy and Marine Corps. Then with the next island you get to do it all over again. Unimaginable!

[Gramps]

That video tells quite a story. My Dad was a combat photographer with the 2nd Marine Division on Tarawa. If you ever get hold of the 2nd Marine Division campaign book for Tarawa, take a look at some the photos and the credit for them. There are a number with Richard Hanna listed as the photographer. That's my Dad. Amazing men doing extraordinary things without question.

[Waynem]

Gramps,
If your dad is still around, please thank him for me.
If he has passed on, please say a prayer for him and send him a thank you message.

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

Many argue why the bomb was dropped on the Japanese and not the Germans.

Hmmm, might it be that Germany surrendered three months before we had a bomb ready to drop on Japan?