Truman joined the Marine Corps and was inducted in October, 1943
at the age of 18. Truman joined the Marines because he felt that they were the
best outfit to join!
After basic training, he was shipped overseas to the Pacific
on the ship, U.S.S. Starlight. The Starlight was a new auxiliary transport that
was awarded 4 battle stars in WWII. The ship suffered a sad demise after the
war however. In 1969, as the SS Badger State, the ship sunk after an explosion
on board.
Truman was assigned to the 3rd Marine division as
a machine gunner and took part in the retaking of the island of Guam from the
Japanese. In July 1944 the Marines landed on the island and were in combat in
the dense jungles for 21 days. The island was then declared secure, but as
often happened on these Pacific islands, the Japanese held out and indeed it
took two months to “mop up” the remaining holdouts.
The division remained on Guam for training after the battle
and prepared for the invasion of Iwo Jima. During the battle for Iwo, the 3rd
Marine division initially was held in reserve. However, circumstances were such
that the division committed its regiments one by one due to the horrific fighting
on the island. Soon, the entire division was on the island and suffered many casualties.
Truman was involved in this invasion and the memories are hard to remember,
much less talk about.
After the Iwo Jima campaign, the 3rd Marine
division returned to Guam to rest and refit in the preparation for the invasion
of Japan in the fall of 1945. Luckily that never happened as the Japanese
surrendered in September, 1945. Truman did make it to Japan however. He was
part of the occupation force made up of all the services after the war ended.
Truman was discharged as a Corporal in October, 1946 after
three years in the Marine Corps.
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