Sands of Iwo Jima -
Watching it now.
Never knew, (did you know?)
Three of the surviving members of the original flag raising on Mt. Suribachi, were utilized in this movie, on that scene.
I did not, until reading the credits.
Semper Fi Marines.
Never knew, (did you know?)
Three of the surviving members of the original flag raising on Mt. Suribachi, were utilized in this movie, on that scene.
I did not, until reading the credits.
Semper Fi Marines.
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I didn't know that either. Not too surprising as the movie was released only 4 years after the event. Three of those six marines were killed after the flag raising. The 3 in the movie were the only survivors. 0 -
drl50 wrote:I didn't know that either. Not too surprising as the movie was released only 4 years after the event. Three of those six marines were killed after the flag raising. The 3 in the movie were the only survivors.
I was cognitive of that fact, when I read the credits. I was/am well aware of the fortunes of those that raised the Flag on Iwo Jima.
Brave Men, all.0 -
drl50 wrote:I didn't know that either. Not too surprising as the movie was released only 4 years after the event. Three of those six marines were killed after the flag raising. The 3 in the movie were the only survivors.
I was cognizant of that fact, when I read the credits. I was/am well aware of the fortunes of those that raised the Flag on Iwo Jima.
Brave Men, all.0 -
In the early scenes of the invasion of Tarawa...a young Colonel David M. Shoup made a cameo appearance in the movie when John Wayne is called to see him while they were up against the sea wall. He can be seen smoking a cigarette while talking to Wayne.
Shoup was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on Tarawa..
He was eventually the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps.0 -
ltcdoty wrote:In the early scenes of the invasion of Tarawa...a young Colonel David M. Shoup made a cameo appearance in the movie when John Wayne is called to see him while they were up against the sea wall. He can be seen smoking a cigarette while talking to Wayne.
Shoup was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on Tarawa..
He was eventually the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps.
I can recall the scene. Unfortunately, I was unaware of that fact, or I would have paid much closer attention to it if I had known that. I will pay closer attention, next time.
This movie has quite a bit of live filmed B&W footage, interwoven in to the story and Cinematography.0 -
MY FIL was a PFC 2nd Marine Div. on Tarawa...COMPANY 190 went on the beach,20 came off.... 0 -
It is now accepted that John Bradley was not one of the flag raisers, he was ordered to say "yes sir", and shut up. I live about 25 miles from his home and know several people that knew him. He would never talk about it. Like they say in the news industry 'print the story............not the facts'. 0 -
A lot of great brave men gave their all during those island hopping missions. To bad they didn't have the bomb developed until later. It could have saved them all. 0 -
That's true. PFC Harold Shultz was actually the flag raiser misidentified as John "Doc" Bradley. James Bradley, John's son and author of "Flags of Our Fathers", was a personal friend of mine and was obviously disappointed but accepted the findings of the investigation and conclusions made by the Marine Corps in 2014.MIKE WISKEY wrote:It is now accepted that John Bradley was not one of the flag raisers, he was ordered to say "yes sir", and shut up. I live about 25 miles from his home and know several people that knew him. He would never talk about it. Like they say in the news industry 'print the story............not the facts'.
Harold's step-daughter said to him: "My gosh, you were a hero!", whereby Harold replied: "I was no hero; I was a Marine".
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I know I?ve shared these before- here are some photos I took going on 15 years ago now. 0 -
The monuments and markers get defaced and destroyed and vandalized regularly by Japanese merchant marine crew members...
Mike0 -
This monumental event in US military history is epic and iconoclastic...
And it greatly overshadows and obscures a front page above the fold headline that occurs on the same day - the most perfectly executed airborne operation in our countries history...
If you put a gun to most heads here they could not name 5 airborne drops or glider assaults in the pacific theatre let alone this text book worthy incredible military maneuver - the raid on los banos...
Parachute assault of battalion size - glider assaults executed simultaneously - guerilla insurgents and partisan scouts - amphibious tracked vehicle special forces component - prisoners of war - the famed Japanese tiger division of 8,000 strong - the kempai tai - the execution of 1500 civilians in retribution by an evil war criminal who would be tried and hanged...
Infants born in prison camps - starved prisoners - insane inmates - professional grave diggers - Fred buckles makes an appearance - you just can't make this stuff up...
Here is a short clip on the subject but it's worthy of further study.
Anybody know about the other airborne drops and glider assaults in the pacific theatre - not just use of the 11th as ground pounded infantry???
Shout out if you know the stories - drop some knowledge.https://youtu.be/eqkTddTNMBY
Mike0 -
mrmike08075 wrote:This monumental event in US military history is epic and iconoclastic...
And it greatly overshadows and obscures a front page above the fold headline that occurs on the same day - the most perfectly executed airborne operation in our countries history...
If you put a gun to most heads here they could not name 5 airborne drops or glider assaults in the pacific theatre let alone this text book worthy incredible military maneuver - the raid on los banos...
Parachute assault of battalion size - glider assaults executed simultaneously - guerilla insurgents and partisan scouts - amphibious tracked vehicle special forces component - prisoners of war - the famed Japanese tiger division of 8,000 strong - the kempai tai - the execution of 1500 civilians in retribution by an evil war criminal who would be tried and hanged...
Infants born in prison camps - starved prisoners - insane inmates - professional grave diggers - Fred buckles makes an appearance - you just can't make this stuff up...
Here is a short clip on the subject but it's worthy of further study.
Anybody know about the other airborne drops and glider assaults in the pacific theatre - not just use of the 11th as ground pounded infantry???
Shout out if you know the stories - drop some knowledge.https://youtu.be/eqkTddTNMBY
Mike
My Dad was an Airborne troop in the Pacific theatre in WWII. He never spoke much, if any, about what he/they encountered.
He was a 32 year Lifer. ABN/CSM. WWII, Korea, Vietnam.
The only times I ever heard him speak about Combat, were with fellow Veterans visiting, when He/they did not know we (my Brother & I,) were listening in. Some Hairy stuff relayed/shared. My Dad was one of the first American Occupation troops/forces on the Japanese Islands after WWII.
Miss you Dad.0 -
We often hear or read about those serving in the European theater who made 5 combat drops or who were in the PIR or pathfinders or glider gang during WWII who had the jump wings with stars and wreaths and we know all the drops and battles and operations by heart even the failures like market garden...
But almost nobody knows anything about the elite airborne and glider and pathfinder troops who made vertical combat envelopments while wearing corcorans and upside down mounted kbars or Ontario's on their web gear in the pacific theatre...
It's not a deliberate dishonor it just appears that greater events always seemed to overshadow these events and cause them to be overlooked...
A combined parachute and glider and PIR drop accompanied by a special amphibious Amtrak assault in one coordinated exercise along with native guerillas and insurgents and Philippine scouts...
And that's just one operation - still taught on the sand tables at the academies as the perfect textbook battalion sized combined forces airborne assault in military history...
Anybody families with any pacific theatre actions and drops by airborne and glider and PIR units please tell us the tale - or let us know what books to read...
Mike0 -
I love the stories of Bradley always "being in Canada fishing" when reporters called and the family was instructed to say that!MIKE WISKEY wrote:It is now accepted that John Bradley was not one of the flag raisers, he was ordered to say "yes sir", and shut up. I live about 25 miles from his home and know several people that knew him. He would never talk about it. Like they say in the news industry 'print the story............not the facts'.
Maybe that's why..........
True American heroes.0
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