Evening star., 1945-10-05

humping into . man. About 30
Hawaiiar1s had jumped on eight Of
us Marines. I didn't fight that time.
After serving 10 days Il had nm
ished up about 5h months in brig
them / got out OF the brig and went
on liberty. I. wrapped me suit of
dungarees, and slung 1t over my
shoulder, caught me Higgins boat
to a PA (transport). I figured they
were going to Two Jima cause they
were bombarding 1t.
The other Marines helped me in
chow line because they liked my
cousin a lot. He was Sam Oliver
Lucas, a pfc. My cousin and I are
like brothers. Anybody too big for
me. he'd whip them for me. He Is
good joe
Mad at Japs.
I was going to get some Japs be-
cause they killed my stepbrother,
William j. Jones, aboard a destroyer
U. s. Elible (Eberle) on March 10,
1943. I was mad
Ihad my 17th birthday on Saipan.
I didn't have any birthday party,
you understand. I was greasy and
about to smother to death in the
hold in the transport.
Between the Marshalls and Sal
pan, after we'd been out % days,
turned myself in. The officer said
he'd get me transferred. I got gear
from guy who got put off for
appendicitis at Saipan.
I turned II just four days before
I hit Two Jima. Six days after
was II saw my first and last &C
tion. got something to brag about,
don't you think?
We spent the night in trenches.
I slept little at time, but 1t was
pretty cold. Shells were flying and
the ships of shore were bombsrding
Mount Suribachi.
On the second day we starting
seeing Japs. Twenty-four hours
after We landed got hit. We were
knocking of some Nips at the air.
field.
My cousins group moved ahead
past our two trenches. There was
burning pillbox about 20 feet
away. I guess the Japs came from
the burning pillbox. When we run
into the trench we saw something
running into hole in the ground
at the head of our trench. When
We started firing into the hole a
grenade blew up right behind our
group leader. He jumped back and
IL Nips were killed.
shot one Jap through the head.
My rife jammed. Grenades were
flying everywhere. A lot of EN- lay
ing around me didn't go off.
Right after my rife jammed, !
was squatting down trying to get it
unjammed. A couple of grenades
rolled into the trench. hollered to
my pals TO get out and did Super
man dive at the grenades. / wasn't
Superman after I. got hit.
/ l let out one helluva scream
when that thing went of. I had to
pull the grenade out from under me
with my left hand. I was thinking
about nothing but Luke, you're 60
ing to die
! After I was hit I laid in the trench
for As minutes. My buddies had
moved on up. 1t blowed me over
on my back. I tried to signal some
one. A corpsman finally came over
there. He faced the hole. A Nip
came out and he shot and killed him
He was gonna give us another gre
made. And I told the corpsman to
shoot him four or five rounds.
thought I was going to die. ]
never was unconscious. NV old man
always told me I was pretty hard
headed. He couldn't knock me out
| They game me some whisky. NV
group leaders and some other guys
came back to see how I was. They
had me guarded till stretcher bearers
came to get me. Mortars started
coming in pretty heavy. They gave
me four-ounce bottle OF brandy
l drank couple of them. Boy, that
was good.
was shaking all over. They took
me out on an LIST and gave me
plasma several times. I amt ever
said so many ugly words in my life
| l stayed on the LIST that night
When the lights clicked on and of
thought it was day and night
Give me something to eat" said.
I've been here three days" 1t was
only one night-the third day Of
battle.
was in hospital from February
to July. Last month I got discharged
sure hope all you folks will send
me the newspaper clippings about
myself. want to read about myself
Tell your friends all over the United
States to mail them to my mother
Mrs. Margaret Jones, Pamlico street,
Belhaven. NC. They all know me
there.