Evening star., 1943-12-07
Hornet Bug|er Joins
In Flag Raising on
Captured Tarawa

NuPiUIVu IUIuWU
fThe following, distributed by
the Associated Press, is taken
from stories Written BY First 1t.
Earl J, Wilson and Technical
Sergt. Samuel Shdfer of Wash
ington and Technical Sergt. Jim
G. Lucas OF Tulsa, Okla, Marine
Corps combat correspondents.
Both 1t, Wilson and Serot. Shat
fer are former Washington neUs-
pupermen)
TARAWA, Nov. "a Delayed) -
They raised the British and Ameri-
can flags over TaraWa a few minutes
ago, symbolizing our victory over
the Japanese in the bitterest fight
ing OF the Pacific war.
Marine Pfc. James Williams, 81
of Birmingham. Ala, sounded colors
as the American flag was hoisted.
The British flag few here until
the japanese seized the island group
soon after Pearl Harbor. Since then
it has lived under the shadow OF
the Rising Sun-now set.
The ceremony was scheduled for
this morning but was delayed be-
cause no British flag was available.
One finally was found by the British
resident commissioner. who came
ashore with the marines.
Pvt. Williams, who was on the
U. S. S. Hornet when that aircraft
carrier was sunk by the Japs, had
special satisfaction in his part in the
ceremony. When the Hornet went
down he was wearing only battered
barracks cap and a pair of shorts.
He clung to a box for five hours
until rescued.
Jimmy was wearing the same cap
when the commanding general
called for field musician. The
general said nothing about the cap
but plenty about Jimmy's uniform
After living in a tank for nearly
four days, from which he had fired
thousands of rounds of ammunition
at the Japs, Jimmy had discarded
his filthy dungarees for Jap naval
uniform which possessed the virtue
OF cleanliness.
Get those clothes Off" the gen.
eral said, land keep them off"
Jimmy proceeded to strip right in
front of the general. Before he had
finished another marine produced
uniform and saved the day.
Jimmy was a bugler on the Hor-
net, but when he landed on Tarawa
he was the gunner in a tank. He
had packed the bugle along lust in
case he might have the chance to
sound colors after the seizure of the
island.
On another part of the island a
marine cleanup party used hand
grenades, dynamite, gasoline, ma
chine guns and rife fire in an eff
fort to flush several japanese snipers
from a heavily fortified pillbox.
Unexpectedly, several shots nicked
a man as he walked down the
beach. The cleanup party closed
in on the pillbox, firing at the
opening.
More shots rang out Corpl. En-
NETT D. Rhoden OF Kerville, Tex,
bundled up IL sticks of dynamite.
went to the top Of the mound and
dropped the charge. Smoke bill
lowed up, but again shots were fired
from inside
We sat down on coconut logs
and smoked cigarettes while more
dynamite was sent for. Then, not
so feet away, Pvt John Jennings,
10, of Columbia, Miss, fired at a
Jap who had been hiding in hole,
apparently for several days. His
shot went through the Jap's eye.
Up the beach 100 yards another
Jap sniper was shot amid much
yelling and shooting from Marines.
Meanwhile, the dynamite came
up. This time the blast blew a
helmet out of the opening. We
thought surely the Japs must be
dead by this time. Not so. Some
rations were tossed out and then
grenade.
Gasoline was poured in and ig-
nited More grenades were tossed.
A japanese interpreter got near the
hole and yelled for the men inside
to surrender so that they would not
be killed. The men inside chartered
for a few moments and then we
heard the muffled boom of a grenade
as they committed suicide.
The Gilberts are close to the
lo0th meridian and in approaching
the islands the ships crossed and
recrossed the international date line. |
That topic, new to many of us,
helped break the monotony of wait
ing
Then-"D" day!
AS dawn broke over Tarawa atoll
our immediate objective, little Betio
Island. was belching smoke like a !
Pittsburgh iron foundry. 1t was
getting a merciless pounding from
the sea and air. The conclusion
could be felt on this ship 7 miles
offshore.
Shortly the loudspeaker in the
wheelhouse gave out these words:
Troops have landed at 0913
(913 ann. Resistance is heavy
They are now being backed up by
shellfire"
The speaker on the bridge blared
anew:
The issue is still in doubt"
That was nearly rs hours ago
The issue no longer is in doubt
The Gilberts have passed from the
hands of the enemy.