Comments for Battle of Tarawa remembered on 65th anniversary

Battle of Tarawa remembered on 65th anniversary

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:37:39 -0600

Battle of Tarawa remembered on 65th anniversary In this photo taken Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008, Master Sgt. James M. Fawcett spreads his father's ashes on Red Beach in Tarawa, Kiribati where his father fought his way ashore 65 years ago on the first day of the Battle of Tarawa. The fight for the tiny atoll halfway between Hawaii and Australia was one of World War II's most brutal. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) You should read the whole article for Master Sgt. James M. Fawcett's comments about his father and ADM Keating's remarks as well.......Maggie The Armorer adds: We've mentioned Tarawa in this space many times, usually in passing - whether in terms of participants, such as Carl William Martin, or in the form of a thank you from the world down under, by Murray.

Comment from Grimmy on 2008-11-22

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:45:46 -0600

SangerM:

My guess is that the human shield thing was at Saipan. That was the first of the islands that Japan considered "home territory". Lots of civvies there. That was also where a lot of Japanese civilians, women and children mostly, chose to jump to their deaths off of cliffs into the sea, rather than be captured by Americans.

The Japanese propaganda of the day taught them that US Marines were trained to be cannibals and that's why Marines never left their dead behind. The dead were a food source. Also, Marines were, supposedly, chosen from among America's rougher prisons. To be eligible for entry into the Marines, murder had to have been committed by the selectee.

I learned all that when I was in Japan during the '80s. A friend of a friendly family I had met was a judo instructor. He got injured at a match and the friendly family took me along on a visit while he was in the hospital. The judo guy was very tense while I was there.

I asked them afterward why. That's when they explained the old propaganda, and that some of the older folk still believed it. The guy, even injured, could have cleaned the floor with me easily. But he was terrified of me because I was a Marine.

Comment from SangerM on 2008-11-21

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:20:38 -0600

Grimmy, thanks. Really, and for the book rec, which I will take up.

I knew about the Raiders, I've just never been able to verify he was actually in the unit, even after scouring what there is on the web, and is milrecords were only partial, since his were in the section of the old mil records building that got burned down. Also, the Marines tend to not like all the 'special' stuff, which as you probably know is why they were so slow to get on the SOCOM money-bucket... But I digress.

Anyway, as he was my step-father for only a few years before he died, his full kid got all the paraphenalia from the war-- medals, patches, trophy gun, knives, etc., and I've not seen her since shortly after he died, which was long before I came to care about such things.

As for the what and where, he was not one to EVER talk about the war with anyone except all the other old guys (old to my 10 year old eyes in '66) who were his fellow heavy drinkers at the Elks club, or all the other vets who gathered at Vern's barbershop every Saturday. I used to just sit in the corner and try to be invisible when they would start telling TINS stories, and I am sure that's where my life-long attraction to American hero stories comes from. Bunch of normal old fellows who were almost like Clark Kent, just waiting for the call, you know...

In fact, the only story I ever heard that came from him was second hand; supposedly, the Japanese had tied women and children to trees in front ot their defensive positions in the mistaken assumption that the Marines wouldn't shoot at them. I can't say if that was on Tarawa, where I don't think they had women or children that I've read, or somewhere else, and I've never really looked for that story anywhere to be honest.

Anyway thanks again!

V/R
SangerM

Comment from Grimmy on 2008-11-20

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:06:16 -0600

Carlson's Raiders was a real unit. It was the precursor to our Recon and Force Recon units.

If you read up on the battle for Tarawa, your step-father was, most likely, involved in the fight for the pier.

The pier was loaded with Japanese snipers and machine guns and they played havoc on the Marines as they came ashore. The fight for the pier was a brutal, close quarter fight, often involving the Marines having to climb down into the supports of the pier and engage the Japanese that were manning positions built underneath from which they could fire enfilade into the Marines as they waded ashore.

There's a newish book out on Tarawa.
http://www.amazon.com/Utmost-Savagery-Three-Days-Tarawa/dp/1557500312

This book includes information from Japanese sources that weren't available until recently.

Comment from SangerM on 2008-11-20

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:04:07 -0600

One of my step-fathers was on Tarawa, supposedly as part of a Marine unit called Carlson's Raiders. Haven't been able to verify the unit, but saw in his mil-records the location. He was a hard man, buried with Marine Honors. That was my first funeral (I was 11) and my first military funeral. I've never forgotten it or how impressive those Marines were; taps still makes me sad....