North Dakota Soldier Identified 80 Years After KIA: Pfc. Robert Alexander

From the November 3, 2022, KFYR TV "World War II soldier from ND identified 80 years after he was killed in action" by Hope Sisk.

Army Pfc.  Robert Alexander was only 27 when he was killed by Japanese forces in a mass suicide attack on his regiment in the Mariana Islands near Guam in July 1944.

The native of Tolley, North Dakota, could not be identified until June 2022 when the Department of Defense 's accounting agency ussed dental and DNA to determine his remains.

He will soon be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, November 14.

--GreGen

USS McCall (DD-400)-- Part 4: Rescue of George R. Tweed and Further Operations

1944

In July 1944, the Gridley, along with sister shop the USS Gridley took up patrol off Guam.  On July 10, the McCall observed  signals from  the island and rescued George R. Tweed, who had been evading the Japanese on the island for two years.  In the meantime, he had acquired a wealth of information on the enemy forces on Guam.  Information that was put to good use.

During the next nine weeks, the McCall guarded the carriers as they attacked Iwo Jima and then supported offensive actions against  the Palaus, Yap and Ulithi.  By 10 October, she was off  Okinawa and also moving to and from  Formosa and Luzon.

On 23 October, the ship was supporting  forces in Leyte Gulf and on the 27th, engaged Japanese forces off Cape  Engano where the Japanese lost three more cruisers and  several destroyers.

--GreGen

USS Gridley (DD-380)-- Part 5: Action in the Marianas, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Iwo Jima and Peleliu

1944

On 7 June 1944, the Gridley sailed with the  the USS Hornet  Task Force 7 to take part in the invasion of the Marianas, where the attacks were made on  Saipan, Rota and Guam.  In all these engagements the Gridley and other destroyers protected the U.S. carriers from Japanese air and submarine attack.

The Gridley was also at the pivotal  Battle of the Philippine Sea 19-20 June 1944, when four waves of Japanese  torpedo bombers and escort fighters were decimated by  fleet air and surface units.  Gridley's anti-aircraft fire and protected the carriers.  As a result of this battle, Japanese air strength virtually ceased to exist.

The ship departed Eniwetok Atoll 30 June 1940 bound with the carriers for strikes on Iwo Jima, Guam, Yap, Ulithi,  and the Volcano Islands.  She directly supported the American landings on Peleliu 15 September 1944, shooting down at least one Japanese plane.

--GreGen

Marine Corps Turns 246: Role in World War II

And still as mean as ever.

Happy birthday USMC!!

During World War II, Marines performed a central role in the Battle of the Pacific, along with the U.S. Army.  

The Battles of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Guam,  Tinian, Cape Gloucester, Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa saw fierce fighting between the Marines and  the Imperial Japanese Army.

Some 600,000 Americans served in the Marines during the war.

The Battle of Iwo Jima, which began on February  19, 1945, was arguably the most famous Marine engagement of the war.  The Japanese had learned lessons from their defeats during the Marianas Campaign and prepared many fortified  positions on the island, including pillboxes and a huge network of tunnels.

They put up a fierce resistance, but American forces reached the top of  Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945.  The mission was accomplished with high losses of 26,000 Americans and 22,000 Japanese.

--GreGen

Another USS Oklahoma Sailor Identified: Jesus Garcia

From the October 6, 2021 California News Times

Navy Steward's Mate  2nd Class, Jesus Garcia was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego in a morning ceremony.

He was from Guam and only 21 years of age when he died December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor while on board the USS Oklahoma.

The majority of his family still lives in Guam, but he has relatives in San Diego.

His remains were identified through the efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).

--GreGen

Veteran Turns 100 in Mississippi: Talmage Byrd

From the September13, 2021, AP News  "Mississippi World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday."

Talmage Byrd of Vancleave was born in 1921 and joined the U.S. Navy when he was 20  years old, saying he was influenced by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

His first post was near the Aleutian Islands, then he  was moved to Astoria, Oregon, where he repaired battle damaged ships.  In the 1950s, he was stationed in Guam.

His military service inspired generations of his family to serve their country.  His son, Larry Byrd, joined the  Air Force in 1965, serving more than twenty years servicing aircraft like B-52s before retiring in 1986.  His grandson,  Chris Rowell,  served in  the Army beginning in 2007 and was stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, for 13 months.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Byrd.

--GreGen

Spam Goes to War, the Pacific, Hawaii and Even Korea-- Part 2: A 'Wartime Delicacy'

The writer of the article, Jim Willard, said his first acquaintance with Spam came during World War II.  he was still a child and meat was rationed, but not Spam.  As such, his mom included it in her meal planning.

He recalled her frying it, after which he covered it lots and lots of catsup.    He confessed that not only did catsup go on his Spam, but also on a lot of other things such as scrambled eggs, bread and butter sandwiches, etc..

The war put Spam on a lot of maps.  In the Pacific Theater, Spam was introduced to Guam, Okinawa, the Philippines and Hawaii, where it was a huge hit.

It remains especially popular in our 50th state.  Hawaii residents have the highest per capita consumption of Spam of all states.  Both McDonald's and Burger King outlets on the islands serve Spam (with catsup available).

The Lend-Lease Act also brought the stuff to the United Kingdom.  British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once referred to it as a "wartime delicacy."  Jim said he'd had British food before  and can understand why she felt that way.

And, what's more, the Korean War brought the 'delicacy" you-know-where.

--GreSpam

Medal of Honor Recipient Desmond Doss Buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery-- Part 2

While serving with his platoon in 1944 in Guam and the Philippines, he was awarded two Bronze Star Medals with a "V" Device for exceptional valor while aiding wounded soldiers under fire.

But it was his action at Okinawa that earned him his highest praise.  Again, while under fire, he saved the lives of 50-100 wounded Americans atop an area known as the Maeda Escarpment, but called Hacksaw Ridge by Americans.  (Hence the movie title.)

Doss suffered a left arm fracture from a sniper's bullet while being carried back to Allied lines, one of four wounds he suffered in this action.  At one point he had seventeen pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body from stepping on a grenade.

For his actions there, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Quite the Hero.  --GreGen

World War II Veteran 'Nick' Joswiak Turns 101: How Did He Become 'Nick'?

From the Feb. 15, C&G Newspapers, Michigan by Brian Louwers.

He received his second dose of virus medicine Feb. 15 and also celebrated birthday number 101.  Just a few days earlier he had bought lunch for 130 people in his building at Park Place Heritage Village in Warren, Michigan.

"Nick" Joswiak was born in Texas in 1920 and his family suffered during the Great Depression so at age 16. he left them and moved to Detroit where he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps.  After Pearl Harbor, he knew exactly what he wanted to do and enlisted in the Marines which he did in 1942.

This is when he received his "new nickname."  When asked what his name was, he replied "Adolph Joswiak."  They told him, "You can't have a name like that and join the Marine Corps."  He told them to give him a nickname and that was when he became "Nick."   The name stuck.

He fought the Japanese for the next three years in the Pacific.

He landed with the Marines on Guam, New Caledonia and Okinawa.  Much of his time was with the 2nd Marines.

--GreGen

USS Fulton (AS-11)-- Part 3: A Busy Ship and At Operation Crossroads

The USS Fulton was at Midway until 17 October and Brisbane from  9 November.

  There she established a submarine base and rest camp, and in addition to refitting submarines between their war patrols, acted as a tender to other ships.

Milne Bay, New Guinea, was her station from 29 October 1943 to 17 March 1944 when she sailed for the U.S. West Coast for an overhaul.

Returning to Pearl Harbor 13 June 1944,  the Fulton took care of submarines for a month, then to Midway and later to Saipan.    Then to Guam where she fitted out submarines until the end of the war.

In Operation Crossroads, the testing of nuclear weapons at Bikini Atoll for the six submarines assigned to the project and also served as a repair ship to others involved in it.

Decommissioned in 1947.

--GreGen

USS Helm (DD-338)-- Part 4: Iwo Jima, Formosa, Leyte Gulf

After the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Helm and the fast carriers she protected attacked Japanese islands at Bonin and Volcano and supported the invasion of Guam.  On 25 July 1944 they began attacks on the Palau Islands.  Then came Iwo Jima.  The Helm sank a small Japanese freighter on 2 September.

Then came Okinawa, 10 October and Formosa.  Japanese retaliation came strong and on 12 October, the Helm's 5-inch guns shot down a Japanese bomber and assisting in the destruction of several others.  After Formosa, Task Force 38 returned to Leyte and the Japanese made one last attempt to destroy the American fleet in what is known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

After victory here, the Helm and carriers resumed supporting ground operations on Leyte.  During this time, they were attacked by aircraft and on  28 October 1944, they had a submarine attack where the Helm and Gridley used depth charges to sink the Japanese submarine I-46.

On 30 October, two of the group's carriers, the Franklin and Belleau Wood were badly damaged by kamikazes.

--GreGen

Guam's Navy Base Reminds Me of Pearl Harbor in 1941

From the August 10, 2017, Chicago Tribune.

With all the rhetoric going on between the United States and North Korea about their missile capability as well as nuclear possibility, and especially their firing a missile in the direction of Guam Island in the Pacific, I saw an article in the tribune that had a photograph of the U.S. navy base at Guam.

It sure reminds me a lot of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, especially with those destroyers tied up in pairs.  Kind of a Destroyer Row if you will.

Gave Me the Creeps.  --GreGen

George Ray Tweed, Eluded Japanese for 2 Years 7 Months on Guam

From Wikipedia.

This comes about because he appeared on the an old TV show "To Tell the Truth" earlier today on the Game Show Network.  I didn't see it, but Liz did and told me about it, knowing I would be interested.  I'll have to see the next time it is shown.

(July 2, 1902-January 16, 1989)

Decorated U.S. Navy radio man, famous for evading Japanese capture for two years and seven months after the U.S. garrison on Guam island surrendered in 1941.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1922 and was sent to Guam in 1939.

As war loomed on the horizon, his family was sent back to the States in October 1941.  The Japanese invaded the island December 8, 1941.  Guam's garrison consisted of 155 Marines, aided by a force of 200 islanders and 400 Navy personnel untrained for combat.

It wasn't much of a fight.  However, George Tween and five others decided not to surrender and slipped off into Guam's jungle.

Very interesting story of his escapades at Wikipedia.

--GreGen

Three of Nebraska's Last Living Pearl Harbor Survivors Gather-- Part 3

Earl Brandes, 95, was a Marine and had just arrived at Pearl Harbor just the month before the attack.  He was in an engineering unit building in a camp near Honolulu and reading a newspaper across the channel from Battleship Row.

After the attack, he went back to the states and came back later where he participated in Guadalcanal, Guam and Iwo Jima.

It Is Always Nice to Write About Living Pearl Harbor Survivirs.  --GreGen

U.S. Military Plans to Use Pagan Island-- Part 2

The Marine Corps says Pagan island is the only island available with beaches large enough for major amphibious maneuvers.  They will repair the old Japanese runway to ferry in supplies.  Bombing targets would be set up on Mount Pagan.

Some 5,000 Marines are due to move to Guam in the next decade, but Guam is too heavily populated for large-scale war games.

War also might return to the Pacific with China building up its amphibious landing capability and becoming more assertive in its islands claims.

--GreGen

See a Sunken World War I Ship and a World War II One Together

In my History Blog, Cooter's History Thing, today, I wrote about a World War I German raider, the SMS Cormoran, which was sunk by its own crew in Apra Harbor Guam. It's wreck lies next to that of a World War Japanese merchant ship the Tokai Maru.

Si, I had to do some research on the Japanese ship. From the excellent Pacific Wrecks site.

The 440 foot long, 60 foot wide Tokai Maru was launched in 1930 as a modern fast luxury freighter running between Tokyo and New York. In October 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy commissioned it to run supplies and troops.

On Jan. 24, 1943, the submarine USS Flying Fish spotted it at anchor in Apra Harbor, Guam, and waited for it to leave. When it became apparent that it wasn't going to leave, the sub fired two torpedoes into the harbor, one struck the Tokai Maru causing damage.

Seven months later, the submarine USS Snapper found the Tokai Maru in the harbor still. Again, the ship did not come out, so the Snapper went in and fired torpedoes at it and another transport. It hightailed it out of the shallow harbor and heard explosions. This time the Tokai Maru sank.

The Story of Two Ships. --GreGen