POST #22-22
Day Twelve...Iwo Jima Battle Narrative, March 3rd, 1945..
Mikey's Dads 100th Birthday Was 2-22-2022...
We continue the day-by-day story of the First Battalion, 24th Marines, Baker company in the bloody battle of IWO JIMA...
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| Day Twelve...Attrition |
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On February 22, 2022, (2-22-22) Mikey's Dad, Willard W. Wemple would have been 100 years old. We are following Dad's time in the First Battalion, 24th Marines, Baker company, from February 19th to March 17th, 1945, in....Operation Detachment.
We will not put much on these posts about the 1-24 On Iwo Jima, instead we will post links here leading to a very good, detailed website that will give way more information than we can deliver ourselves. We must warn you that some of the information will be graphic and upsetting, but will give you some idea about what Dad and the other Marines experienced. If you see a mention of Baker Company, that is the unit dad was to be assigned to.
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On this day, March 3rd, Willard (Dad) and the 1-24 were still on the front line. Baker Company passed through Charlie Company's line and went to the front of the assault. Then the Japanese turned their full attention to Baker Company...the terrain was hills, mounds and corridors with nearly vertical sides. Every route of advance was covered by rifle and machine gun fire with mortars and artillery covering the open areas. Baker Co. pushed aggressively ahead, and the Japanese ferociously resisted. Mortars and artillery caused most of the wounds, with concussions and shrapnel shredding the ranks. The inexperienced replacements suffered badly, but Dad was not wounded at all.
The following is an interesting story...In his later years, Barbi's brother Frank (A WWII military weapons collector) brought over his very rare and expensive M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)while Dad was over for a visit...
Dad then told a story of how he was moving forward in this bloody assault. He was in a squad consisting of the BARman and one or more ammo carriers. THIS IS GRAPHIC...Suddenly the BARman's head exploded and he fell dead. Dad dropped his M1 Garand rifle, picked up the BAR and cleaned the dead mans brains out of the receiver mechanism of the BAR. He said he was scared stiff with the Garand, but felt much safer with the BAR. Here is his diary page describing that...
He wrote down the Serial Number of the BAR...522095.
After some research, we feel that horrific event occurred on this day, March 3rd, 1945. Records show that two Baker Company BARmen died that day. We think the Marine that was killed, and Dad took up his BAR was most likely PFC Jack Dan McCormick.
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PFC Jack D. McCormick |
Records indicate McCormick was killed this day by shrapnel to the head.
The other, less likely possibility for the BARman that was killed this day would be Private Clarence Vernon Postell, but his wounds were not noted...
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| PVT Clarence V. Postell |
Dad became a BARman that day and carried that gun for the rest of the battle. It was another brutal day, and the end is not in sight.. The narrative for today is very detailed, and again graphic...
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TODAYS NARRATIVE
Todays narrative is Day TWELVE on Iwo Jima, March 3rd, 1945...It will be called Attrition...
Click or tap HERE to go to the narrative...It's very interesting
Over the next posts and next days we will continue posting daily updates that will follow the battle through logs and stories of the battle as told by a Military Historian and battle participants on the 1st Battallion-24th Marines Website...
Until Next Time!!
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