Evening star., 1945-02-25

jured. One group, all of whom suf-
fered only slight wounds, got to-
gether on our ships decks the after
moons of February 81 and % to COM
pare stories of their lucky escapes.
Those Japs acted like a bunch of
doggone FOOLS said one marine,
who was wounded by shrapnel in his
leg as he tossed grenades into an
enemy pillbox.
Appeared DOped.
! I'VE would toss in a few grenades
and out would come these doggone
/ Japs in frantic charge They acted
like they were doped. They weren't
yelling, though-not until they were
hit" He continued:
Il dropped two grenades right in
their fire trench and they sure
started yellowing then"
Our hospital ship, greeted by the
boom of war guns, plowed into the
Two Jima battle-ground the morning
of D day plus one.
Doctors and nurses lined the
rails watching flashes from the
ships guns of the amphibious fleet
and answering puffs from the island
Smoke was blasting up from hits
ashore, ringing the island like a
San Francisco fog.
We watched waves of marines
waiting in small boats to back up
their buddies who already had made
beach landings If I weren't too
dumb I would have been terribly
afraid. News of the battle was
blaring over our ships loudspeaker
as I sat on deck writing.
At first I Used binoculars to watch
gun flashes on the horizon as we
neared the little island. Later I
didn't need any glasses.
We were interrupted soon-very
soon-by new voice blaring forth
on the loudspeaker:
"All stretcher bearers attention."
Over the side came the ships
first wounded. War is not unreal.
These are real men and they are
wounded. They are not complain
ing.
Help these other fellows. I'm
not hurt bad" one begged.
Guns kept booming and the
flashes grew brighter.
Faced Real Fight.
At first I kept waiting for the
pleasant-voiced announcer to eX-
plain that this is the way the
might of the American Navy took
Two Jima. But Two wasn't taken |
yet. The island still was fighting
back-ViciouSly 1t still was, as |
our ship left the scene laden with
wounded.
For hours l watched the wounded
lifted carefully by stretcher bearers
up the swaying gangway into this
white ship. I saw one youthful
marine, face drawn in pain, jump
off a stretcher, protesting somebody
worse of than he should be carried
aboard
Don't let them carry me Don't
let them. I can walk, see?" and off
across the deck he went, limping
badly but walking proudly.
There were unexpected reunions,
too.
One blend boy in an upper bunk
in the surgical ward spotted buddy
acros the room and yelled, Il
thought you'd never make it, pail"
I seem to have been quite a sur
prise myself
We'll, I'll be doggoneG!" one
wounded man called from a!
stretcher. You old woman! What
in thunder are you doing here?"
Editors note: Bonnie is 34)
Another recognized the ship as
one on which he had received treat
ment before.
Say, put me in that ward where
that pretty black-eyed nurse is, will
you?" he asked.
This war is rot like I'd read about
The one I reaG about was a long
way off.
There's relief in the closeup de- |
tails, though. For instance, one of /
the boys with shrapnel wound in
his cheek was worrying about what
it would do to the mustache he
was trying tC grow.
One marine private said he didn't |
even know he was wounded until an
officer ordered him to a medical aid |
station.
Another suggested that the New
LOST.