At 0902 on February 19, 1945 Bobo's Bastards (B Company, 28th Marines) landed near the base of Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Lt. Frank Wright and his First Platoon planted the American Flag and quickly struck out for Iwo's west coast. at 1030 elements of this platoon reached their objective, and Suribachi was severed from the rest of the island. The four day struggle for Suribachi was underway. Twenty-one men from Baker Company died this day and another fourty-four men were wounded. We pay tribute to those men of B Company sacrificing their life this day and during the rest of the battle. The dead included: Cpl. Buford L. Aten, Pfc. Robert R. Bilstein, Pfc Edward L. Brashear, Cpl Arlyn G. Brown, Sgt Gerald L. Cox, Sgt. John Csicsko, Pfc. Iva L. Gray, Jr., Pvt. James K. Hope, Pfc James J. Hummel, Cpl Robert C. Jacobson, Sgt. Warren H. Jones, Pvt. Gene B. Kimball, Pfc. Willie J. Luchak, Cpl Harry W. Ours, Pvt. Lucien A. Rogers, Pfc Elwin I. Alcock, Cpl. Mariano R. Delise, Pfc Desmond G. Kurch, Pfc Elmer Lawlis, Jr., Capt. Dwayne E. (Bobo) Mears, and Lt. Nion R. Tucker, Jr. After the First Battalion successfully crossed the island, they pivoted to the south and joined in the assault on Suribachi. On the morning of February 23, the First Battalion made it way along the western base of Suribachi and made contact with the Second Battalion of the 28th Marines on the extreme southern tip of Iwo. The Second Battalion successfully scaled Suribachi on this day and planted the American flag. These four days cost Baker Company eight dead and fifteen wounded. The dead were: Pvt. Lucien A. Robers, Pfc Lester O. Gundersgaard, Cpl Harry W. Dawson, Pfc James M. Dean, Cpl. Walter J. Kazmer, Pvt. Donald H. Roundtree, Pvt. Wayne E. Ryan and Sgt. J. D. Dawson. Baker Company spent the next five days taking bypassed pockets of Japanese and closing caves. During this period, five men would be wounded, but none of Bobo's Bastards would be killed. On February 28, the 28th Marines moved north to help in the assault on the plateau. Even as the 28th moved north, the First Battalion of the 27th Marines assaulted Hill 362A and were violently repulsed. The taking of Hill 362A and Nishi Ridge would fall to the 28th Marines, with B Company in the forefront of the battle. On March 1, the First Battalion would lose 93 men taking Hill 362A. 29 of these men would be from Baker Company. Early on the morning of March 1, naval ships saturated the surface of Hill 362A with heavy shells. Low flying aircraft straffed, bombarded and rocketed the hill. Marine artillery added their voice to the cresendo with their 105 and 155 guns. The First Battalion, including B Company quickly captured Hill 362A. It would take another two days to take Nishi Ridge a few hundred yards to the north. Sixty-five men from the First Battalion would die and another 218 men would be wounded. Hill 362A and Nishi Ridge cost B Company 72 wounded and 18 dead. Those killed were: Cpl. Carl B. Hoppe, Mvt. Owen E. Taylor, Cpl David C. Eaddy, Jr., Pvt. Leslie S. Yost, Cpl Thomas J. Miller, Pfc Paul L. Adams, Pfc John W. Brannon, Jr., Pfc James A. Butler, Cpl. Raymond J. Huber, Cpl. Hurchel G. Luckett, Pfc Floyd J. Nuthals, Pl. Sgt. Harry K. Scarborough, Sgt. William W. Woods, Pfc. Ludwig. A. Halas, Pfc Oswald G. Lowrance, Pfc. Leonard M. Niedbalski, Cpl Donald F. Ward, and Pfc. Paul W. Watson. On March 4, B Company and other units of the First Battalion were relieved from the lines and returned to the base of Suribachi to regroup and receive replacements. On March 8, the First Battalion once again moved north and joined in the Battle for the Badlands. In a five day struggle 81 men from the First Battalion would die and another 175 would be wounded. B Company's casualties included 20 wounded and 10 dead. The dead were: Lt. Daniel Ginsburg, Pfc Robert A. Jamison, Pfc. Remo A. Bechelli, Pfc Raymond D. Boulter, Cpl Willard C. Burroughs, Cpl Berlyn P. McKee, Pfc. Russell V. Braga, Lt. Lester E. Hutchcroft, and Pfc Nelson B. Boyd . On March 13 the marines approached General Kuribayashi's final stronghold to become known as "Bloody Gorge." Down to a couple thousand men, the Japanese would hold the enemy at bay for another twelve days. On March 24, the last organized resistance in "Bloody Gorge" would collapse, but not without great cost to the marines. The First Battalion's casualties for the last encounter totaled 102, with 40 dead. B Company suffered 20 wounded and 9 dead. The following men men paid the supreme sacrifice in this last engagement: Pfc Dale O Cassell, Jr., Pvt. Carl M. Strong, Pfc. Marvin ;H. Marshall, Pfc James L. McAllister, Pvt Frank A. Solomi, Pvt. James L. Tucke, Pfc. George P. Thornton, Pfc James B. Treadway, and Pvt. Jack Miles. Of the 6,775 men who died as the result of wounds received on Iwo Jima, nearly half of this number was from the Fifth Marine Division. On March 26, 73 of the 295 men who fought with B Company boarded the USS Zeilin for the long trip back to Hawaii. Many of these men had been wounded at least once, and some twice during the battle. I pause to pay tribute to our dead. Bob Allen, B Company, 28th Marines USMC987332 |
MEMORIAL DAY 2000 |
BOB HAS A BEAUTIFUL SITE SET UP, MANY PHOTOS AND LINKS TO IWO JIMA HISTORY |
WRITTEN BY BOB ALLEN USMC B CO. 28TH MARINES POSTED WITH PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR |
IWO JIMA MEMORIES |
