On the road

On the road

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Profiles Spring-Summer 2013 HFDFW


 

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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