WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Sixty seconds of Service. This sixty seconds of Service is

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<v Speaker 1>presented by T Mobile. T Mobile offers exclusive discounts for

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<v Speaker 1>a veteran and military families and are proud supporters of

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<v Speaker 1>the National Defense Network. Visit t mobile dot com slash

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<v Speaker 1>military to learn more about how they support our military community.

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<v Speaker 1>Maurice Wilson spent twenty six years in the Navy, but

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<v Speaker 1>now works with onward Ops, a nonprofit helping unify veterans

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<v Speaker 1>organizations nationwide. Wilson is the regional Community Integration Coordinator, which

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<v Speaker 1>connects veterans with a volunteer who checks in every week

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<v Speaker 1>to make sure they have access to resources and assure

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<v Speaker 1>them they are not alone. He said, I have a

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<v Speaker 1>sailor who got married and his wife got out and

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<v Speaker 1>she didn't have this. She didn't know where to go.

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<v Speaker 1>Peter Lanham was her battle buddy with onward Ops San

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<v Speaker 1>Diego and helped her navigate her transition to civilian life.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's sixty seconds of Service is brought to you by Prevagen.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to Veterans, Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in

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<v Speaker 2>this edition is Frank Wright. He is a US Marine

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<v Speaker 2>Corps veteran of many battles in the Pacific Theater of

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<v Speaker 2>World War Two, most significantly Guam and Ewojima. Frank Wright

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<v Speaker 2>is also one of a very few surviving Marine raiders

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<v Speaker 2>from World War Two. In a future episode, we will

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<v Speaker 2>hear all about his service at Ewojima. Today, we'll learn

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<v Speaker 2>about his service on Guam, and in this podcast, Frank

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<v Speaker 2>will describe what it was like to be on the

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<v Speaker 2>receiving end of a Japanese Bonzai charge. Then he gives

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<v Speaker 2>us incredible detail into hand to hand combat against the

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<v Speaker 2>Japanese and the mental and physical skill required to survive.

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<v Speaker 2>He also explains how he survived hand to hand, fighting

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<v Speaker 2>to bite, suffering a bayonet stabbing from a Japanese soldier.

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<v Speaker 2>All of that is straight ahead, but up first, Frank

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<v Speaker 2>Right tells us about landing on Guam in August nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>forty four.

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<v Speaker 3>When we went in there was a lot of coral.

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<v Speaker 3>We cut our boots up and it was a very

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<v Speaker 3>tedious type of landing. We landed on kind of a

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<v Speaker 3>coral sand on it and our ships and the rocket

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<v Speaker 3>ships were firing just ahead of us, and they were

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<v Speaker 3>giving us our forward protection. All the way through into

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<v Speaker 3>it was all flat land. We had a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>mortars that came in on us from the shoreline and

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of larger weapons that were coming from the

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<v Speaker 3>islands onto us. As we came in and we got

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<v Speaker 3>into some small pill boxes that was close to the shoreline,

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<v Speaker 3>we went further further in the mud and water also

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<v Speaker 3>got less spread than it had been before it and

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<v Speaker 3>that took two three hours. I think it was a

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<v Speaker 3>light landy I think compared to the area where we

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<v Speaker 3>were released from thirtyes. I was in the twenty first

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<v Speaker 3>Marines Regiment. We did not carry the boys and a

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<v Speaker 3>enter tank guns on that island hopping, so we were

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<v Speaker 3>only fired I think two shots. We shot one shot

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<v Speaker 3>three shots and the other unit that was on that

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<v Speaker 3>same tank road, they shot a couple. So it didn't

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<v Speaker 3>pan out as uh as they had thought, but we

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<v Speaker 3>did use it on the pill boxes. It was effective

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<v Speaker 3>a little bit, but we found the flamethrowers were a

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<v Speaker 3>lot more effacient than the poisonner tae gunways. So we

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<v Speaker 3>got through that that area that that the ships had

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<v Speaker 3>been shooting above our head over into the land coming

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<v Speaker 3>from it, because they began to have a rise to it,

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<v Speaker 3>and the flat land became a little hill, and we

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<v Speaker 3>went into into there and we stopped at the top

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<v Speaker 3>of the ridge on it. They told us after firing

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<v Speaker 3>there that you're cleaning up those Japs. They were posted

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<v Speaker 3>on the island right by the landing strip where we

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<v Speaker 3>landed where we came in. They told us to bed

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<v Speaker 3>down and we'd stay there for the evening before we

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<v Speaker 3>take off on it. And I think they must have

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<v Speaker 3>been waiting for something else. It seemed like we were

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<v Speaker 3>going to be bed down quite soon, as opposed to

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<v Speaker 3>any other landing that we went to. So but we

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<v Speaker 3>stayed there that evening and just before dark we had

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<v Speaker 3>a Monasai attack from the Japanese that had been anchored

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<v Speaker 3>up in the area where we were supposed to take

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<v Speaker 3>They came all at one time, and I talked to

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<v Speaker 3>a guy over on Pea company, I think it was

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<v Speaker 3>a Pea company. He said that they had four or

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<v Speaker 3>five Japanese tanks that came in on their section on

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<v Speaker 3>our section. We must have been on the far end

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<v Speaker 3>of our section because because we didn't have any tanks

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<v Speaker 3>in our company on it. It came in, it was

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<v Speaker 3>just all around troops didn't have they didn't have any

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<v Speaker 3>protection of tanks or didn't follow in on with the tank,

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<v Speaker 3>so they just came in by themselves and it we

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<v Speaker 3>killed them all.

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<v Speaker 2>There explain what a bonzeye charge is.

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<v Speaker 3>The bonzie charges when they all come down a hill

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<v Speaker 3>or behind the protection of a tank to give them

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<v Speaker 3>protection from our shops and our people. They head right

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<v Speaker 3>for you had killed all they could before retreating back

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<v Speaker 3>up to the hill, but we always stopped them dead.

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<v Speaker 3>They had started bedding down at that time, right here

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<v Speaker 3>on top of the little ridge. Some of the guys

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<v Speaker 3>had faced their foxhole for the evening and some of

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<v Speaker 3>them were still talking and visiting aster what they had faced.

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<v Speaker 3>And that was really our our units on the twenty

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<v Speaker 3>first was the first real hand to hand stuff that

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<v Speaker 3>we ran across on it, and at least I think

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<v Speaker 3>it was my first one that really had a time.

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<v Speaker 3>After the Japs came down and this guy from the

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<v Speaker 3>pea Cups that I talked to, he said he had

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<v Speaker 3>never been into one either. Was I attacked, And that's

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<v Speaker 3>when a whole bunch came in and they had some

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<v Speaker 3>tanks that let them down, and the Japs were behind

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<v Speaker 3>the tanks and they did real close and then they'd

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<v Speaker 3>run out from behind the tanks and do their damage

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<v Speaker 3>to our troops. Must have been a hundred maybe maybe

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<v Speaker 3>one hundred seventy five or something like that. They came

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<v Speaker 3>running down at one time, and we just went at

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<v Speaker 3>a two toenail opponents I attacked is well, you have

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<v Speaker 3>training with it, you could. I was trained. I could

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<v Speaker 3>fight with banets.

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<v Speaker 2>Tell me what that's like hand to hand combat.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, a guy running at you with a rifle and

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<v Speaker 3>a long band ad which is like a large knife

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<v Speaker 3>stuck on the end of a rifle and poking at you.

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<v Speaker 3>You're trying to get out of his way. You tried

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<v Speaker 3>to counter any type of maneuver that the enemy does,

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<v Speaker 3>and if you lose, you usually lose your life. And likewise,

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<v Speaker 3>when the Japanese loses the combat between the two of them,

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<v Speaker 3>they usually lose their life. So you're fighting for your

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<v Speaker 3>life and you don't usually go by the book all

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<v Speaker 3>the time, because when they start running at you, and

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<v Speaker 3>not just one, you know four or five will be

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<v Speaker 3>on one marine. You know you've got to fight, and

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<v Speaker 3>you've got to kill otherwise they're going to kill you.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a hard thing to do if you don't have

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<v Speaker 3>much ammanition. When I was training a lot and then

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<v Speaker 3>say you do this, that and the other thing on it, they're, hell,

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<v Speaker 3>why don't you just shooting? Don't sit there and fight?

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<v Speaker 3>But that's not the way it is. They come down

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<v Speaker 3>and most of the time they don't have enough ammunition

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<v Speaker 3>because they're shooting. They're shooting off their rifles and they

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<v Speaker 3>don't have too many pieces of ammunition left. Of course,

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<v Speaker 3>we don't either because we are fighting for our lives too,

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<v Speaker 3>and then those guys are so you have to fight

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<v Speaker 3>with your bandet. Now I can see, you know, And

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<v Speaker 3>at that time I could see why you didn't just

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<v Speaker 3>shoot the bastard in the first place. On it, I

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<v Speaker 3>followed I was before, and I knew what it was.

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<v Speaker 3>And I thought bannets before and I knew what it was.

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<v Speaker 3>I also ran out of ammunition too, And it's the

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<v Speaker 3>worst kind of fighting because you're fighting for your life

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<v Speaker 3>right there and you're not fifty yards away or whatever.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, that's real fighting, and you just don't go

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<v Speaker 3>by the book all the time. I tried that a

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<v Speaker 3>couple of times, and I had to get rid of

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<v Speaker 3>him and the way that I thought and the way

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<v Speaker 3>that he was fighting. If he was fighting a certain

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<v Speaker 3>way with then I would be able to counter. I

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<v Speaker 3>had been told on how to do a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>countering stuff, but it's it's hell.

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<v Speaker 2>Tell me how you were wounded in hand to hand combat.

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<v Speaker 3>After that first seizure we had with the jets, as

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<v Speaker 3>we first landed on the twenty first, we started hiking

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<v Speaker 3>further up the island. We worked until we got up

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<v Speaker 3>around Agat, city of Agat, which was bombed tremendously. The

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<v Speaker 3>Japanese had retrieved back or not toward the city of Agat.

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<v Speaker 3>We were in that particular area, we were told to

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<v Speaker 3>buncle down again and stay there because we were going

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<v Speaker 3>to wait there for another unit that was coming to

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<v Speaker 3>headquarters unit I think it was that was coming from

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<v Speaker 3>our right as we kept going up to the island,

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<v Speaker 3>so we started bending down in that particular area on it,

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<v Speaker 3>and the headquarters was to our right, and they were

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<v Speaker 3>they were coming in with more ammunition and more tanks

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<v Speaker 3>and the unit to reinforce our troops. As we went

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<v Speaker 3>further north on it. So we were told to stop

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<v Speaker 3>and dig your hole. So we stopped. We started digging

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<v Speaker 3>our hoes on it.

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<v Speaker 1>Well.

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<v Speaker 3>UH in the area that we were the had the

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<v Speaker 3>sand coral sand and uh and pieces of corals had

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<v Speaker 3>been broken off and stuff. And so therefore we had

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<v Speaker 3>to use our knives as well to help dig the hole.

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<v Speaker 3>We couldn't use that, just a little of our little

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<v Speaker 3>shovels that we had. So we pulled in that uh

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<v Speaker 3>area and we started digging our holes and and then

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<v Speaker 3>I'd take my gun hole knife and break the ground

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<v Speaker 3>up with my gungco knife. And then now a gungole

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<v Speaker 3>knife is shorter than a bayonet, and it was just

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<v Speaker 3>like a big bowlo knife on it had about a

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<v Speaker 3>fourteen inch blade to it and good size handle, so

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<v Speaker 3>you could do a lot of digging on it. So

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<v Speaker 3>that's what we were doing, at least I was doing.

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<v Speaker 3>And I put that knife in the ground and turn

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<v Speaker 3>it and it would break up the soil. And then

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<v Speaker 3>I'd pulled off with the a little shovel that we

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<v Speaker 3>had if we carried, and then I'd put that amount

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<v Speaker 3>of dirt and pack it around the foxhole that I

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<v Speaker 3>was digging on it and it kind of made a

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<v Speaker 3>little berm on that that you could really get down

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<v Speaker 3>into your foxhole and hang your rifle on top of

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<v Speaker 3>that and do some long shooting if you had to.

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<v Speaker 3>But anyway, that was what I was doing with the dirt.

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<v Speaker 3>Then we could hear the Japanese up on them on

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<v Speaker 3>the hill we were coming through again, I think it was,

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<v Speaker 3>And then we were on Assan Road that came down

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<v Speaker 3>from the top of the hill on it, and it

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<v Speaker 3>was coming down the hill toward toward the landing that

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<v Speaker 3>they were doing. Our troops were coming in. Edwards group

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<v Speaker 3>was coming in with had a lot of heavy stuff

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<v Speaker 3>on it, a lot of acclaim throwers and heavy machine

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<v Speaker 3>guns and light machine guns. So they were getting a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of reinforcements on it from that area. And we

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<v Speaker 3>were right above them, and we could hear the Japanese

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<v Speaker 3>up on the top part of the hill. We hear

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<v Speaker 3>tags were going up and down the hill the star

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<v Speaker 3>in the mortar, and then then they stopped it, and

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<v Speaker 3>so he didn't know if they were coming down or what.

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<v Speaker 3>They were drinking saki and getting drunk on it and

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<v Speaker 3>had a lot of nerve left in in my guess,

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<v Speaker 3>and they sat down a bunch of Japanese tanks down

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<v Speaker 3>the hill, and they came in first, and they started

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<v Speaker 3>shooting at us, and we were carducking as much as

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<v Speaker 3>we could from that, and the tank kept coming well.

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<v Speaker 3>But that time the tanks were arriving from down below

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<v Speaker 3>us on our right, and they were coming ashore, just

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<v Speaker 3>coming ashore, and then just came ashore, and they went

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<v Speaker 3>right straight on up the hill to meet that force

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<v Speaker 3>of tanks that was coming down the hill. And that

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<v Speaker 3>turned out when they met that turned out to be

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<v Speaker 3>the biggest tank paddle in the old South Pacific, right

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<v Speaker 3>there in front of us on it, and boy, they

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<v Speaker 3>leave forward on it, and a lot of action between

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<v Speaker 3>the two enemies there, the Japanese enemy and our enemy

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<v Speaker 3>towards them. So anyway, the Japanese turned tail and went

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<v Speaker 3>back up on the hill where they were doing all

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<v Speaker 3>that drinking and stuff, and our troops went right after him.

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<v Speaker 3>They got up as far as they could up there,

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<v Speaker 3>and then they were called back because a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>our company was getting in need of fuel and stuff

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<v Speaker 3>because they had just come in off of the off

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<v Speaker 3>of the ships and stuff and had not been fueled up.

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<v Speaker 3>Whatever they do to those portions of the troops, so

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<v Speaker 3>they had orders a lot to follow, so they didn't

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<v Speaker 3>follow them up and they went back down the hill

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<v Speaker 3>to the headquarters area to help them if needed. I

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<v Speaker 3>left the Japs up in the top of the hill

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<v Speaker 3>or where we were without their tank protection, and so

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<v Speaker 3>they all togethered again up there, and they came roaring

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<v Speaker 3>down the hill and they were hollering and yelling and

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<v Speaker 3>stabbing and in four or five Japs to maybe one

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<v Speaker 3>or two guys in their boxhos, and it was a

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<v Speaker 3>pretty big doings there. It was the largest on the island,

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<v Speaker 3>I think. Anyway, as they were fighting, I got a

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<v Speaker 3>couple of them that came down that didn't want to

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<v Speaker 3>run on further down to the headquarters company and had

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<v Speaker 3>it down there. They stopped over there and they started shooting,

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<v Speaker 3>and and they ran out of ammunition as well as

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<v Speaker 3>I did, and we were just hand to hand. This

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<v Speaker 3>one was it was a very good fighter. They started

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<v Speaker 3>at me kind of fast, poking and how and then

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<v Speaker 3>I started backing up. As I was backing up on it,

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<v Speaker 3>I tripped on that burm that I had been building

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<v Speaker 3>up around my foxhole, and I started going down and

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<v Speaker 3>as I was losing my composure like that. That jet

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<v Speaker 3>took advantage on it and poked me with in the

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<v Speaker 3>stomach with manat. It didn't go too deep, but it

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<v Speaker 3>went in enough to cause me pain, and that court

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<v Speaker 3>bled a lot anyway, as I went down, hooked me again,

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<v Speaker 3>pushed it in to go deeper, I guess, and I

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<v Speaker 3>just about that time, guy in the foxhole next to

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<v Speaker 3>me on it sell the position that I was in

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<v Speaker 3>and he shot the jet. I fell on my back

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<v Speaker 3>down into the box show and whatever it was that

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<v Speaker 3>the jeb had it, he shoved the last fund and

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<v Speaker 3>he fell right on top of me in the box

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<v Speaker 3>hoole cause I went down and on my back, my

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<v Speaker 3>hand went over and hit that congo knife that it was.

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<v Speaker 3>I hadn't I just stuck into the ground on it.

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<v Speaker 3>It was just waiting for me to keep working on

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<v Speaker 3>my fox show. I felt that and I knew I

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<v Speaker 3>knew what it was because I had cared it for

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<v Speaker 3>a long time. So I came up with it and

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<v Speaker 3>then I slashed his throat and you start bleeding and yelling,

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<v Speaker 3>and god, you know, that's a heck of a lot

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<v Speaker 3>difference than killing someone that's fifty yards away and stuff

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<v Speaker 3>right there. You hear them yelling at your at the

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<v Speaker 3>and your face and screaming and they smell a fish

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<v Speaker 3>and sacky. You hear them screaming and yelling of pain. Boy,

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<v Speaker 3>that's that's hurts That hurts you. You know, you hate

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<v Speaker 3>to do that, your human being, but you gotta you

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<v Speaker 3>gotta do what's needed. Sometimes you fast and sometimes you slow.

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<v Speaker 3>You stick them and they're yelling at you, and there's

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<v Speaker 3>something that the guy has to get used to. Anyway,

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<v Speaker 3>I was there as Jeff was on top of me.

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<v Speaker 3>The guys from headquarters came up further and they started

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<v Speaker 3>chasing them up as on road American tanks had driven

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<v Speaker 3>the Japanese tanks up further too. There were things quieted

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<v Speaker 3>down a lot. Darkness was starting to appear on us,

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<v Speaker 3>and I just stayed there with that Jap on me

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<v Speaker 3>until the next morning and everything was going. Then pretty

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<v Speaker 3>soon the secure squads started coming around and they're picking

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<v Speaker 3>up the guys that had turned them over that were dead,

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<v Speaker 3>and the other guys had Corman up there trying to

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<v Speaker 3>pull them out too. So anyway, they started getting the

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<v Speaker 3>people that had been wounded and getting them and they

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<v Speaker 3>kind of missed me a little bit because they thought

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<v Speaker 3>it was just a Japan down there, but they didn't

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00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:04.960
<v Speaker 3>realize that it was laying on top of a marine.

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<v Speaker 3>So finally somebody I said, hey, here's one underneath that

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<v Speaker 3>dead Jap. So they pulled him off, and then then

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00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:17.720
<v Speaker 3>he got me. I had not seen my wound or anything.

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00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:21.960
<v Speaker 3>I couldn't see it until that next morning. Then they

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<v Speaker 3>found him and they found me, and they pulled him off,

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<v Speaker 3>and they did they broke the stuff there on a

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<v Speaker 3>fox shole, and I started bleeding again on it, and

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<v Speaker 3>I got up, and then the guy said, hey, he's

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<v Speaker 3>alive underneath it. Just pulled him off, or they pulled

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00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:44.759
<v Speaker 3>that off him off, and then he pulled me out.

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<v Speaker 3>By that time the wound had coagulated a little bit.

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<v Speaker 3>They didn't do too much to me, and then said

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<v Speaker 3>he just called a corman over, and a corman came

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<v Speaker 3>and he wiped all the blood off around the area

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<v Speaker 3>and located me another we called them blouses, and another

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<v Speaker 3>blouse and from a dead marine chocked that old bloodied

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<v Speaker 3>one off and put another one on. He bandaged me

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<v Speaker 3>up and he puts some I think it was sulfur.

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<v Speaker 3>He puts something on it, and put that powdered in

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<v Speaker 3>the sage on that, and I put the jacket jacket

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<v Speaker 3>or a little jacket or blouse we call it on

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<v Speaker 3>and stayed there and I waited, and they started pulling

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<v Speaker 3>other people out. Then somebody came by and said, we

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<v Speaker 3>got to go. They need all the help they can

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<v Speaker 3>on those pill boxes that they're uncovering back there. I

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<v Speaker 3>just fall in line with them, kept going also because

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<v Speaker 3>it didn't hurt. I guess the feeling finally got into it,

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<v Speaker 3>but it didn't hurt too much. I started walking further north.

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<v Speaker 3>I got to put a little bit further north on it,

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<v Speaker 3>and ran into another bunch of pill boxes and stuff,

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<v Speaker 3>and we started cleaning them out as much as we could.

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<v Speaker 3>Must have broken open my wound from that bandet, and

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<v Speaker 3>so one of the guys up here hollered, and here's

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<v Speaker 3>the guy who's got something wrong with his stomach. So

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<v Speaker 3>I got to get a corman over there. So they

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00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:38.839
<v Speaker 3>called up on one and the guy from the headquarters

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<v Speaker 3>heard and it came up. I've been doing a little

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<v Speaker 3>research on it, and I found out that the corman

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<v Speaker 3>it came up from headquarters to finish my wound. I

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<v Speaker 3>ran across him in San Diego with the Raider Battalion

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<v Speaker 3>reunion who we had down there, and I found out

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<v Speaker 3>that he was as the one that take called from headquarters.

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<v Speaker 3>They went up there, and now he's the one that

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<v Speaker 3>told me how to treat that uh won. He said

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<v Speaker 3>what he should have done was he should have taped it.

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<v Speaker 3>The first guy should have put that powder into stuff

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<v Speaker 3>and taped it. You had show that the wound would

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<v Speaker 3>not be an open and he would heal a heck

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<v Speaker 3>of a lot better.

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<v Speaker 2>That's Frank Wright. He's a US Marine Corps veteran of

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<v Speaker 2>World War Two in the Pacific Theater and one of

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<v Speaker 2>the last surviving Marine Raiders. After much of Guam was

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<v Speaker 2>secured following the major combat operations, Wright was still sent

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<v Speaker 2>out on patrol to find remaining Japanese soldiers on the island.

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<v Speaker 2>Despite his lingering injury. For the next few months, he

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<v Speaker 2>healed and did a lot of training, months of training

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<v Speaker 2>for their next battle. They didn't know it at the time,

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<v Speaker 2>but their next battle would come six months later and

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<v Speaker 2>take an even bigger toll on a small but critically

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<v Speaker 2>important island called Ewogima. We'll bring you that story soon.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Greg Corumbus and this is Veterans Chronicles.

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<v Speaker 1>Hi.

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<v Speaker 2>This is Greg Corumbus and thanks for listening to Veterans Chronicles,

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<v Speaker 2>a presentation of the American Veterans Center. For more information,

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<v Speaker 2>please visit American Veteranscenter dot org. You can also follow

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<v Speaker 2>the American Veterans Center on Facebook and on Twitter. We're

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<v Speaker 2>at AVC update. Subscribe to the American Veterans Center YouTube

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<v Speaker 2>channel for full oral histories and special features, and of course,

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<v Speaker 2>please subscribe to the Veterans Chronicles podcast wherever you get

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<v Speaker 2>your podcast. Thanks again for listening, and please join us

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<v Speaker 2>next time for Veterans' Chronicles