Evening star., 1944-05-21

adjacent island where Japanese were
known to be garrisoned.
"As we left the transport" Banasik
recalled, I'VE received orders to go on in
Immediately. We started.
Near the edge Of the reef which
surrounded the island, our motor
stalled.
I'VE managed to repair 1t and get
going again.
"As we were nearing the only pass
through the reefs large wave struck us
and washed out our engine.
1--WE tried frantically to revive it.
"The waves continued pounding us
and we saw that we couldn't remain
afloat. e-ss~ su4 ss+ .s~ 5e
I'VE radieed the task force to begin
shelling the island at the point we
figured the Japs would be. We learned
later that we were more than correct.
The shelling got all but 16. .s.,1- a.ss.
But we only learned that later. -
Minutes after we'd sent our message
a wave crashed into our tractor and sent
us over.
-Four Of our boys we never saw
again. don't think they ever came up.
II jumped as the tractor went over.
Went Under Immediately
II came up the first time, but I'm not
too good swimmer and that surf was
rough enough for good man. I went
down almost Immediately.
glimpse of the sky and I was down
again.
Il don't know how far I went, but I
almost touched bottom.
Because I knew I was gone, quit
struggling. seemed to be floating
through nothing at all.
Il prayed.
II thought of the girl friend back
home. I was sorry that she was going
to grieve.
Il thought Of the money some of the
boys owed me and thought they wouldn't
have to pay it, after all.
Il thought of the insurance hadn't
taken out. I was sorry about that.
Il was tired out. I was almost sleepy.
Il didn't see any funny lights like
people say you will and nothing seemed
to hurt me, wasn't in any pain and I
wasn't scared. I knew I was losing
consciousness.
Then everything blacked out"
Spotted Banesik's Body
Sergt. Pole, who had learned to swim
in reefs while serving with the Marine
Corps In the Caribbean, had dragged
one man toI the safety of another
wrecked boat when he spotted Ensign
Banasiks body f1oating-"la like, like
a cork, almost"-beneath the water. He
dived down, brought the naval officer to
the surface and swan his body to a
float which the Japanese had used to
mark the channel
1t. Boydston, who had seen Banasik
come up the first time but had failed
to spot him later, followed.
He was an awful sight" Boydston
said. I'VE had to cut his jacket of his
head before we could do anything for
him. Then it was I felt of his heart
and his pulse. I told the boys he was
dead and We might as well leave him
and start looking for the others"
Bonasik grinned.
Did you say that?" he demanded.
Sure Boydston retorted, land I was
right. You forget, man, you were dead"
Pole continued to apply artificial res
plratlon, and Boydston, unable to find
the Others rejoined him
He was purple in the face, and he
was sWelled up" Boydston said. II
guess we forced about two gallons of
water out of him. In about 10 minutes
he coughed. In about 80 minutes he
was able to mutter."
At this point Banasik was able to re-
sumo his story.
Il remembered coming to on the float,
but I blacked out again, and the next
thing l remember they had me ashore"
We couldn't get ashore, and we
stayed out there in the water, holding
BanaSiks body on the float" he said.
He groaned a couple of times during
the night, and we continued to work on
him and force the water out of his
lungs"
Boydston, Banasik and the survivors
OF their crew got ashore the next morn
ing. Although weak and suffering from