WEBVTT 1 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:16.480 Welcome to Veterans Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in 2 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:20.280 this edition is Delmar Beard. He's a US Navy veteran 3 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:23.480 of World War Two and a US Army veteran of 4 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:27.879 the Korean War and the Vietnam War. During World War II, 5 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:30.839 he served a board an LST in the Pacific and 6 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:34.799 took part in the landings at both Ewojima and Okinawa. 7 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:38.759 After the war, mister Beard left the Navy and joined 8 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:42.640 the Army shortly thereafter. He served in a non combat 9 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:46.719 role in Korea, but returned to combat in Vietnam as 10 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:51.560 a command sergeant major, overseeing major gun batteries near Quinyong 11 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:56.439 from nineteen sixty seven to nineteen sixty eight. Delmar Beard 12 00:00:56.840 --> 00:00:59.799 was born into a farming family in May of nineteen 13 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:00.719 twenty six. 14 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:07.799 I was born in North Carolina, and my dad was 15 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:12.680 a farmer in Cumberland County, just outside of Fort Bragg 16 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:14.599 and Fedville, North Carolina. 17 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:18.400 Beard was fifteen years old and spending his Sunday morning 18 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:21.200 as he normally did when he first heard about the 19 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:26.319 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December seventh, nineteen forty one. 20 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.319 I was a church It was only Sunday, and we 21 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:35.599 heard that did at bum Pearl Harbor. That's why I 22 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:37.319 first heard of Pearl Harbor. 23 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:40.920 At that time, Beard was too young to enlist, but 24 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:43.159 a couple of years later, on one of the most 25 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:45.879 pivotal days of the war in Europe, he got his 26 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:48.959 chance to join the war effort. Not only did Beard 27 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:52.439 live in North Carolina, he lived very close to Fort Bragg, 28 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:56.719 one of the most well known US Army installations. But 29 00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:58.920 Beard and a buddy said no to the Army at 30 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:00.799 that time shows the Navy. 31 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:04.200 Well, I guess one of the reasons I joined the Davy. 32 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:09.120 My brother was already in North Africa and I was 33 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.280 born raised right there where I could see the per 34 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:16.960 trooper jump on Fort Bragg, and I had a lot 35 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:21.240 of contact with the Army, and so I said, my 36 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:24.039 buddy and I were, let's go into Navy. So it 37 00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:27.199 was just something that we decided to do that we 38 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.439 had seen enough of army in Fort Bragg there for 39 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:36.639 sixteen years. I was born in over d Day in Raleigh, 40 00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:42.280 North Carolina, and went to Camp Perry, Virginia, which was 41 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:48.120 located just outside of Williamsburg, Virginia. Had thirteen weeks of training, 42 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:51.520 and then after we finished herd, we called a train 43 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:53.960 to Algiers, Louisiana. 44 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:57.479 It was in Algiers, Louisiana that Beard got a signed 45 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.199 to the LST, on which he would serve for the 46 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.680 remainder of the war. And he and the rest of 47 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:05.080 the crew got a good taste of life aboard the 48 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:09.520 LST as they sailed it from the Gulf coast to Hawaii. 49 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.479 Well, the unit that I was signed to, if I 50 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:17.159 got to Algiers, there were thirteen of us went aboard 51 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:23.560 LST seventy one five and the second day there we 52 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:28.680 headed through the Panamaca now to Hawaii. And after we 53 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.680 get out of Hawaii, we did a lot of praction WITHST, 54 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:37.240 beaching on beaches for training, and then I went to 55 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:42.159 gunners mate school to learn to clean and operate and 56 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:47.400 load the twin forty that I served also on LST. 57 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:50.800 We'll hear much more about those twin forties when Beard 58 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:54.719 describes his experience off the coast of Okinawa. But he 59 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:57.560 did give us some insights into how the guns served 60 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:00.960 as the most potent weapons of board the LST. 61 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:05.719 The twin forty, well, it was the biggest guns we 62 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:08.680 had had them on the bow and the fan tail 63 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.240 of the ship. And as I say, we had gunners 64 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:15.159 mate that took care of him. But I went to 65 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:18.439 school for a week to learn how to do certain 66 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:22.800 things because I was signed to a twin forty in 67 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:27.000 case of Morocco the mortar attax or or earlier air 68 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.439 at tax or anything like that, and I served over 69 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:31.560 that as an extra duty. 70 00:04:31.959 --> 00:04:33.720 And when asked if he was a quick study on 71 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.680 those guns, Beard said, his years growing up on the 72 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:39.680 farm came in very handy for this assignment. 73 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:43.879 My first gun was a gun I purchased at age fifteen, 74 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:48.399 big old double bar shotgun, so I was used. I 75 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:49.560 was used to shooting. 76 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:53.120 As for the ship itself, Beard explained the design of 77 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:55.319 the LST and how it was used. 78 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:59.199 Well, the first thing is flat bottom, almost flat bottom, 79 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:02.839 roll over and pick up water and roll over the 80 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:07.319 other side. It's just like that. We have a what 81 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.519 we call a port side on the starboard side and 82 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:14.920 a big tank dick put the holding ammunition and trucks 83 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:19.639 and tanks and all of that. And I forgot how 84 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:22.920 long it is, but we had a crew of one 85 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:24.639 hundred and nineteen. 86 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:27.639 For the record. The standard LST in World War Two 87 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:31.120 was three hundred and twenty eight feet long and fifty 88 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:35.800 feet wide at the beam. After weeks and months of training, 89 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.319 by early nineteen forty five, it was time to get 90 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:45.279 into the war, leaving Hawaii with an eventual destination of Ewojima. 91 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:48.120 Delmar Beard tells us about a couple of stops along 92 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:51.800 the way and what it was like coming ashore on 93 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:54.800 Ewojima as the battle was underway. 94 00:05:55.040 --> 00:06:00.240 After we left and trained in Hawaii, an early you 95 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:04.560 where we took off and we went for our base 96 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:10.120 port that we operated out love mostly was Saipan and Tinian. 97 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:14.600 That's where the planes took off for the atomic bum 98 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:19.160 plane that took off later on. But we trained there 99 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:23.720 and after there a short while we picked up part 100 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:28.199 of the fourth Marine Division and we headed for Ewagima. 101 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:33.279 We didn't know what Ewajima was. You never heard of it, 102 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:36.759 you know, little island, you know, we didn't hear of 103 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:40.720 it until we got to see and they brought a 104 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:46.040 mark of it and explained eve Regima and explained where 105 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:49.399 we were going to go in at where district Mount 106 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:55.120 Sarabachi we went and eventually anchored right as the first 107 00:06:55.160 --> 00:07:01.839 ship from Mount Sarabachi. So We got there three days 108 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:06.720 later and we went in very early in the morning, 109 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:11.560 at about four point thirty, and we took the part 110 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:16.319 of the fourth Marine Division is to Mount Serbacia on 111 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:22.199 the LCVPs to land. You had to take those LSTs 112 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:25.000 in when the tide is in so you can go 113 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:29.199 up on the beach. Well. Early the next morning we 114 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:34.399 went in and put the LST on the beach where 115 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:39.120 we could unload the ammunition and octane gas and tanks 116 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:40.879 that we had on the ship. 117 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.199 The horrors endured by the Marines on the black ash 118 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:48.759 beaches of Iwo Jima are well documented. The Navy service 119 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:54.680 members unloading personnel vehicles, fuel, ammunition, weapons, and more did 120 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:58.279 not face the same intensity from the Japanese, but they 121 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.720 were not immune from deadly fire either. 122 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:05.199 I came that close to being hit. I was lined up. 123 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:08.600 I didn't have two hours in the office, but I 124 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.680 wanted to be out of it. But the guy marine 125 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:16.439 was facing me here and I was here with passing 126 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:20.199 the box ammunition out, putting it on the beach, and 127 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.800 he got a bullet right in the back. He was 128 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.959 about here and I was here. Two of us. We 129 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.839 took him, drug him up on the beach and hollered medic. Well, 130 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:34.639 the medic came down and he was already dead. Yeah, 131 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:38.919 And we could see the dead Marines laying on the 132 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:43.159 beach because it takes a while for two people were 133 00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:46.840 to pick him up and take him away. You know, 134 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:50.440 there was someone laid there half a day on the 135 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:53.799 beach because there was so many, so many of them. 136 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:57.639 Beard says he heard constant reminders that the Japanese bullets 137 00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:58.960 were not far away. 138 00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:03.759 Oh yeah, yeah, we could hear it ricksheaning off the 139 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:07.440 side of the ship being be you know. But if 140 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.120 they were shooting more seemed like at the ship than 141 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:13.759 there was us in the line hoping that he could 142 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:17.360 do something damage there. We could hear there was not 143 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:21.480 that much fire coming down there because they were business 144 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:24.240 shooting the ones on the Marines on the beach. 145 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:27.840 Even for those fortunate enough to survive the deadly enemy fire, 146 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:32.399 the trauma of the experience could still be overwhelming. Beard 147 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:34.960 remembers one sailor who had to be evacuated. 148 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.399 We had some that went, some that couldn't. We got 149 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.080 shell shark. We had the kid got so shell shark. 150 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:46.559 It took four people to hold it, and then all 151 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:50.000 we could do is is take our LCVP and took 152 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:54.159 him over to the hospital ship. It was the USS Mercy, 153 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:56.120 which is still operating. 154 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:59.799 While Beard only ventured on shore far enough to unload 155 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:03.600 some flies, he was still perfectly positioned to witness two 156 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.159 of the most indelible moments of the battle. The first, 157 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.399 of course, was the raising of the American flag atop 158 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:14.159 Mount Surabachi. But he also had a front row seat 159 00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:17.960 as the US Marines used their flamethrowers to force the 160 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:21.600 Japanese out of their underground fortresses. 161 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:25.919 And we could see where we was at was real 162 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:30.279 good position. We could see the Marines going up Mount 163 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:35.559 Sarabachi with the flame flowers in the cage, and as 164 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:39.679 a Japanese got on fire, they run out and rolled 165 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:43.480 into Volcadi Cash trying to put it down. But on 166 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:47.200 Mount Clara Bachi, for as I know, there was only 167 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:51.559 four or five people that surrendered and captured, and they 168 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:55.840 built a little fence right there above our ship, and 169 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:59.240 that's where they was at when the war ended. 170 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:02.519 You Beard is grateful for certain things that happened at 171 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:06.200 Ewojima or didn't happen. He says, the Navy did not 172 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:09.960 have to endure many Japanese attacks from the air, you know. 173 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:15.159 Surprisedly, in Ewajima, we didn't have a lot of air 174 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:19.679 raid because we had two aircraft carriers out in the 175 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:23.720 ocean a little ways from the island, and they intercepted 176 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:27.200 the planes before they got in. Only two or three 177 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.320 got in, So far as the navy go, we didn't 178 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:34.960 have too much problems with aircraft in Ewajima. 179 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.559 That's Delmar Beard. He's a US Navy veteran of World 180 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:42.600 War Two and the battles of Ewojima and Okinawa. He 181 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:45.759 later served in the US Army in both the Korean 182 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:50.120 War and the Vietnam War. In just a moment, Beard 183 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:53.399 takes us into the intense combat he faced against the 184 00:11:53.480 --> 00:12:00.320 Japanese at Okinawa. I'm Greg Corumbus and this is Veterans Chronicle. 185 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:04.360 Sixty Seconds of Service. This sixty Seconds of Service is 186 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:07.720 presented by T Mobile. 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The company usually provides transports 197 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:45.039 between hospital facilities, but Operation EMS is part of their 198 00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:49.720 effort to train and certify emergency medical technicians and paramedics. 199 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.840 Today's sixty Seconds of Service is brought to you by Prevagen. 200 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:56.440 Prevagen is the number one pharmacist recommended memory support brand. 201 00:12:56.759 --> 00:12:59.320 You can find Prevagen and the Vitamin Aisle in stores 202 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:00.000 every where. 203 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:04.960 This is Veterans Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbas. Our guest in 204 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:08.320 this edition is del Mar Beard. He's a US Navy 205 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:11.840 veteran of World War II and the critical battles of 206 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:15.840 Ewojima and Okinawa. He later served many years in the 207 00:13:15.960 --> 00:13:19.720 US Army, including in a non combat role during the 208 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:23.080 Korean War. He then rose to the rank of command 209 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:28.039 Sergeant major and commanded gun batteries in Vietnam. But we 210 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:30.840 pick up mister Beard's story with some more thoughts on 211 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:34.840 his service at Ewojima and how he shifted from service 212 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:38.519 at Ewojima to taking part in the invasion at Okinawa. 213 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:42.559 After dropping off the initial load on the beaches, Beard 214 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:45.200 says there were two more trips to pick up personnel 215 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:48.399 critical to completing the mission on Ewojima. 216 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:54.639 Our nick trip because the airstrip was quite bummed the runways. 217 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:58.000 We went back to Taipan and we picked up a 218 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:05.559 Navy construction cartgage steal cartigated to lay on and make 219 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:10.279 the runways where the planes could land. And then we 220 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:18.240 went back and got another marine unit, mostly medical. A 221 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:22.000 lot of them was medical to take care of the 222 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:24.399 people and the bodies and what not. 223 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.960 And after that third and final drop off, and while 224 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:31.799 the fighting was still raging on ewo Jima, Delmar Beard 225 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:36.000 and other Navy personnel were already getting prepared for the 226 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:37.960 next massive invasion. 227 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:41.639 We made a trip to the Philippines right quick, then 228 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:45.600 came back to Taipan. Then we picked up the troops 229 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:47.519 for the invasion of Okinawa. 230 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:51.639 As Beard mentioned earlier, the Japanese air resistance at ewo 231 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:57.000 Jima was quite limited. At Okinawa, as Allied forces moved 232 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:00.879 even closer towards the Japanese mainland. He says, the enemy 233 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:02.919 air raids were very intense. 234 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:09.519 Now, Okanawa, as far as navy was, was worse worse 235 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:15.240 than eve Rejima because we had the damn many air raids. 236 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:19.600 We had air raids every day, and there was so 237 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:24.159 many we couldn't get into unload our ammunition. We sat 238 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:29.600 out there with a shipbload of ammunition and hearks hain 239 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:36.120 gas with air raids every day dropping all around. We 240 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:40.679 had one drop down between us and the destroyer that 241 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:45.200 got hit by a plane with twenty I think there 242 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:49.879 was twenty six people killed on it. Well, it was 243 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:53.440 suicide plane and it was just over from us, just 244 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:57.399 a little way, and we were just lucky that we 245 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:00.960 didn't get hit because they were nothing left. 246 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:04.600 And he says the Japanese consistently brought air raids and 247 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:08.840 kamikazi attacks in the middle of the night. Beard says, 248 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:10.759 you could almost set your watch by it. 249 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:17.039 Every night. It seemed like at fifteen minutes after two 250 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:21.440 o'clock in the morning we had air raids, And I 251 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:24.200 guess that was a time thing. Like when they left 252 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:29.039 Japan to ride there and they writhed about a quarter 253 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.720 after two, about six nights in a row. 254 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.519 The American sailors soon got wise to the schedule of 255 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:40.480 Japanese attacks, so much so that they didn't even bother 256 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:42.720 to change clothes when they went to bed. 257 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:47.360 It of her, the people didn't even take the clothes off. 258 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.799 They have just a shoes because they knew there's gonna 259 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:55.799 be an air rage after two. If you was on duty, 260 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:02.679 I didn't attend guard, but because of a job, except 261 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.920 during combat combat, I had to I understand myttire. And 262 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:09.759 if you got off at twelve, you might as well 263 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:11.839 just lay up there? Would you close them? Because you 264 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.359 had to get up a quarter after two? 265 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:17.920 And that's when Delmar Beard leapt into action to operate 266 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:22.640 those twin forties, the forty millimeter twin barrel anti aircraft 267 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:26.200 guns that he learned quickly thanks to his proficiency with 268 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:29.119 firearms while growing up on his father's farm. 269 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:32.920 The twin foarders we had at that time. We had 270 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:37.640 a porter and a trainer, and then we had two 271 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.359 people in the gun tub where the ammunition was, and 272 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:45.119 David hand it up to me and Vernon Law, who 273 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:48.839 was the gunner's mate, and we would push him down 274 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.599 into the chamber and shoot him. 275 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:56.079 Yeah, he says, despite the threat of Japanese attacks, he 276 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.359 and the other gunners got into an efficient groove of 277 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:01.960 loading and firing those twin forties. 278 00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:07.000 It been hard and you and hear you raige you 279 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:13.039 subisi prak fast as you could to load that then 280 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:18.680 and ever third bullet shale is a tracer and you 281 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:20.799 could see word's going. 282 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:25.200 That's Delmar Beard. He's a US Navy veteran of World 283 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:29.759 War Two and the battles of Ewojima and Okinawa. He 284 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:32.920 later served for twenty two years in the US Army 285 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:37.839 and was deployed to both Korea and Vietnam. Later in 286 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:40.440 our discussion, Beard will tell us about his command in 287 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.960 Vietnam and the challenges he dealt with during some of 288 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:46.960 the toughest fighting of the war. He will also share 289 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:50.799 his advice with young adults and young service members in particular. 290 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:54.240 But up next, we'll hear more from Beard about fighting 291 00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:58.519 against Japanese Kamakazi missions in World War II and the 292 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:02.960 vivid memories he had of that eighty years later. He 293 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:05.359 will also tell us about the surprise he found on 294 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:08.599 an island near Okinawa and what he's most proud of 295 00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:13.119 from his many years in uniform. I'm Greg Corumbus, and 296 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:19.680 this is Veterans Chronicles. This is Veterans' Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. 297 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:23.680 Our guest in this edition is del Mar Beard. Just 298 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:27.079 moments ago, Beard explained what it was like to operate 299 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:31.200 the twin forty guns aboard LST seven one five during 300 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:35.359 numerous air raids and Kamakazi attacks off the coast of Okinawa. 301 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:38.000 He says, shooting as fast as he could and watching 302 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:40.880 plane after plane get shot down short of its targets 303 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:43.799 is a memory vividly etched in his mind. 304 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:48.000 Well, it was quite a show, a particular at night 305 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:55.039 seeing all those bullets go up for planes. Most everything 306 00:19:55.480 --> 00:20:00.680 that we did, ninety some percent was at night. We 307 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:05.440 had a few daytime attacks. The comic Causa that hit 308 00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:11.319 the destroyer was daytime. There was there was only a 309 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:13.880 they must have come of cruiser because there was only 310 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.839 four flew in and we got knocked all of them 311 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:22.400 down except the one comic cause that they hit that 312 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:26.559 crashed into the destroyer and you just see all of 313 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:32.960 those bullets from about fifty ships uh going up in 314 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:37.160 the air. There was quite a show. I hate to 315 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.000 say that show that something you'd never see but one 316 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:42.000 time in your life. 317 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:45.720 The battle also stays with Beard in another way, as 318 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:48.039 you can tell, perhaps by the volume of his voice, 319 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.519 he struggles to hear well, and part of that is 320 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:55.240 due to a military oversight towards Beard and many other 321 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:56.960 gunners during World War Two. 322 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:02.039 The trouble wiz that there are me. Your Navy did 323 00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:09.359 not issue troop here in age until Vietnam, so so 324 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:14.160 in World War Two in Korea we didn't have here 325 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:14.799 in age. 326 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:18.279 Beard just gave us an excellent description of his actions 327 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:24.119 fighting off Japanese air raids and Kamakazi's suicide bombings. Ewojima 328 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:26.880 is often referred to as the bloodiest battle in the 329 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:32.200 Pacific because of the incredibly high casualty rate for American forces. 330 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:36.680 Nearly seven thousand Americans died on Ewojima, an island of 331 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:41.319 just eight square miles. Twenty thousand were wounded. The Battle 332 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:45.880 of Okinawa registered a devastating toll of twelve thousand Americans 333 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.640 lost in a battle that raged for more than two months. 334 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:53.799 Some forty nine thousand more Americans were wounded. While the 335 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:57.920 battle on Okinawa continued, Beard and his shipmates were tasked 336 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:01.640 with scouting a nearby island where the Japanese had recently 337 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:05.680 been seen. But when they actually explored the place, Beard 338 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:08.119 and his buddies were in for a big surprise. 339 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:12.759 We made about three trips to Okinawa. The second one 340 00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:18.079 there was another island called i he Shima. We were 341 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:22.759 going to have an attacked on that, and we went 342 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:27.119 over there and they were bumming it and they were 343 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:31.640 ruckus was going in on it. The Marie went in. 344 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:39.079 No Japanese. The ages of the island said they moved 345 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:42.359 out two days ago, and they moved out. I guess 346 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:45.000 at night to the other islands where there was fighting 347 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:47.960 going on somewhere. I know where they got out, but 348 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:53.279 they say they left the island. And then then we 349 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:57.039 went back to Taipan again. As I told you, we 350 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:00.559 brought the navy in, and then we went back for 351 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:03.759 troopers again and brought them back. So we made through 352 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:09.759 trips to Okinawa, including one to Lady in the Philippines. 353 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:12.839 The Battle of Okinawa was one of the last major 354 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:16.359 battles in the Pacific Theater of World War two. The 355 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.400 war came to an end just two months later after 356 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:24.000 the US drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The 357 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:28.279 Japanese announced their surrender just six days after the second blast, 358 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:31.920 with the formal surrender taking place in early September. Beard 359 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:34.640 says when the news of the Japanese surrender came in, 360 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:37.480 he and the rest of his crew were busy preparing 361 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:40.920 for what they thought would be the final and most 362 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:42.480 costly battle of the war. 363 00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:49.240 We will own our way to how Waiiat and we 364 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:55.319 were told at that time we fought with having invade Japan, 365 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:59.759 we will own our way to pick up troops. Forty 366 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.319 invasion of Japan. And then we heard the first toomaic 367 00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:08.920 Oabama was dropped, and then we heard the second was 368 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:13.319 dropped on our way to Hawaii, and then we heard 369 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:16.839 the japan had surrendered. He said, oh boy, we're gonna 370 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:21.480 get to go home. Well, we got there, picked up 371 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:26.400 a truck and company and headed for Japan and went 372 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:32.400 to Sasebo round on the side between Sasibo and North 373 00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:38.000 Korea in that area, and then we went to the Philippines, 374 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:43.519 picked up a group and took them to Wakayama. Then 375 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.839 we went back and got another load and took them 376 00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:51.160 to Niguoy Navy group that time to Negoya because that's 377 00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:57.720 a seaport. After that, it was time that I had 378 00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:02.079 to start discharging, sending people home, and went to the 379 00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:05.680 back to the Philippines, and I was a yeoman. I 380 00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:09.000 was in charge him because we had already transferred to 381 00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:15.039 other yeoman to Philadelphia, so I had to transfer all 382 00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:19.960 of them off my mos. Being a yeoman, I was frozen, 383 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:24.440 even though I was Navy reserved, because they had to 384 00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:29.599 keep all yeoman to muster out everybody in the States 385 00:25:29.799 --> 00:25:33.079 or wherever there was at. So I had to go 386 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:38.680 with the LST and we get in Samarrow, the Philippines. 387 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:44.000 I decommissioned the LST and turned it over to the 388 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:47.279 Philippine government and they were going to use it for 389 00:25:47.720 --> 00:25:52.400 supply ship for the mind sweepers, cleaning out all the 390 00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:56.440 mines and everything in there before I could go home. 391 00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:00.519 After the war, Beard came home and eventually left the Navy, 392 00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:04.160 but it wasn't long before he was back in uniform, 393 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:07.880 this time as an enlisted man in the US Army. 394 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:10.880 He joined the Army on Labor Day nineteen forty eight. 395 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:14.680 Just a couple of years later, Beard found himself back 396 00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:18.759 at war, this time in Korea. However, in that conflict, 397 00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:22.480 he served in a non combat role, working mostly in 398 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:26.400 finances for the army. But as years passed, Beard started 399 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:29.559 to focus again on combat and quickly rose in the 400 00:26:29.640 --> 00:26:33.839 enlisted ranks. Beard explains how quickly he was promoted and 401 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:36.440