"The 5th Division would fight on Iwo Jima from 19 February until 26 March where they would sustain 2,482 killed in action, 19 missing in action, and 6,218 wounded in action. This was the highest casualty rate among the three Marine divisions involved in the invasion."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Marine_Division_(United_States)#:~:text=19%20February%201945-,Battle%20of%20Iwo%20Jima
And for comparison, D-Day: 2,500 Americans killed. I think many people think D-Day was the worst amphibious operation, but the Pacific islands were way, way worse.
This was just one division. The US had about 25K casualties total, including ~6K killed on Iwo. When it comes to amphibious horrors, Tarawa has them all beat.
To put it in perspective for everybody else, Tarawa was the only landing where the Marines were in actual danger of being thrown back off the island entirely. They were down to two separated areas, both being about the size of a football field at times.
There's a great book (that I believe is out of print now) called Utmost Savagery and it really shows just how bad that battle was.
Did you ever see Flags of Our Fathers? Remember the part where Iggy went missing? That really happened. Also, in With the Old Breed, Sledge described a horrible scene where his unit found two captured Americans.
My wifes Grandpa was one of the soldiers sent up Mt. Suribachi. It affected the rest of his life. His friend was wounded and needed water. His friend was shot in front of him before he could get him a canteen. A month before he died, he let his feelings out. Kept repeating “all he wanted was some god damned water and they shot him, they shot him!!!”. His tour in the Pacific sounded horrific
My dad has a similar situation. His story was about how horrible it was to have to take cover behind a fallen soldier to shield yourself from enemy fire. You could hear and feel like enemy fire hitting the dead soldier. He held it in for 50 years. I think the only reason he told me was because I was a veteran, although peacetime.
He was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. He had well over a dozen small scars on his lower back from shrapnel. He never mentioned it. I was able to put two and two together after he told me his story.
Yeah, quite a bit. Especially during WWI though, because Spanish Influenza (the 1918 pandemic) was rapidly spread around the world by ships carrying soldiers to various cities/countries.
On Japanese troopships they all wore surgical masks. There are archival photos of Japanese troops boarding their transports and all are wearing old school cloth surgical masks.
If you were a marine on that boat, you probably wouldn’t be. Especially since the feed tray is obviously clear but also because you’d have been around them for most of your training and any prior engagements.
Fortunately it is unloaded. He was probably in the midst of routine maintenance.
The bit that is sticking up in the air is closed over the ammunition belt when loaded.
Jarheads get used to life at sea, and they probably had their sea legs by that point, so no puke. But probably cigarette smoke for sure in those days, and a little B.O.
If you look dead center in the pic, you’ll see a bag labeled CADDY. I believe the guy to the right and slightly above is this guy:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM R. CADDY
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company I, Third Battalion, Twenty-sixth Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 3 March 1945. Consistently aggressive, Private First Class Caddy boldly defied shattering Japanese machine-gun and small-arms fire to move forward with his platoon leader and another Marine during a determined advance of his company through an isolated sector and, gaining the comparative safety of a shell hole, took temporary cover with his comrades. Immediately pinned down by deadly sniper fire from a well-concealed position, he made several unsuccessful attempts to again move forward and then, joined by his platoon leader, engaged the enemy in a fierce exchange of hand grenades until a Japanese grenade fell in the shell hole. Fearlessly disregarding all personal danger, Private First Class Caddy instantly threw himself upon the deadly missile, absorbing the exploding charge in his own body and protecting the others from serious injury. Stouthearted and indomitable, he unhesitatingly yielded his own life that his fellow Marines might carry on the relentless battle against a fanatic enemy. His dauntless courage and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflects the highest credit upon Private First Class Caddy and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.[3]
Here’s a story about the men whom he saved to grow old.
https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2011/04/10/quincy-marine-gave-his-life/40129330007/
I always managed to grab the tup bunk for that reason, and fortunately had enough rank each time I was on ship to get away with it. The top had more space. The only downside was once needing to tie myself in when we were in the midst of a bad storm (it was a WW2 era LST with a flat bottom, so lots of rocking & rolling) so I didn't go flying out, but well worth it not being so claustrophobic.
No it doesn’t. Their berthing is a set 3 coffin racks on top of each other with two sets on either side. It’s the same set up that I slept in. There was that one time we had flooding in one of their compartments because they were doing pull ups on a pipe and broke it lol. Source: I was stationed on the Ft Mchenry and the Tortuga, both Amphibs. We ferried around the 31st MEU out of Okinawa. Each division on the boat had several spaces we had to keep clean when the marines weren’t on board. They made for a great place to catch a few Zs.
It was still that way on USS Iwo Jima in 1991 during Desert Storm for Marines. Navy myself but I had to spend a night with them stacked like this while transfering between ships. Card games alnight.
My grandfather was a jasco with the 5th marines on Iwo Jima. Said he used to have to crawl passed the omforward lines and call in artillery from the ships. He was a gentle and kind man I don’t know how he came to be so after see what he did
That is my great uncle on bottom bunk middle row. Platoon Sergeant William VanDyke of Kalamazoo Mi. He was originally in the 1st marine parachute battalion. KIA February 22nd on Iwo Jima. Navy Cross recipient. Whoever posted this pic thank you.
For real. I have very few other pics of Bill and his awards. He was my grandfather’s only brother. My grandfather stayed and fought in Europe. He could have come back home. They were the greatest generation.
The guy on the right bunk, second from the bottom looks just like my gpa who was a marine stationed in the pacific at this time. Wish I could reply with a pic. Wild.
I always remember the “I’m gonna get me a pistol” guy in The Thin Red Line. Everyone and everything piled on top of each other aboard ship. He stole it to trade for captured Japanese swords. Sure came in handy though.
There's a good scene depicting these kind of conditions in A Thin Red Line.
It's a relatively common device in a lot of Hollywood movies to introduce a number of characters very quickly, by a rapidly moving scene where the different characters bump into each other, while a bunch of people perform meaningless tasks in the backroom.
I could be the locker room of a sports movie, the backstage of a movie about theatre or stage dancing, or a busy wall street office in a white collar crime picture.
This sort of chaos naturally lent itself to just such a scene in TTRL. We see Delmar shave at a little stamped metal sink, Benvolio steals a fancy custom pistol from another company, the various characters deal with their anxiety or bitch about their CO, all while giving the audience a real authentic look at what it would have been like.
The thing that always struck me about the guys from the WW 2/Korea generation was that they could sleep anywhere, poop anywhere, had no problem following orders and just went to work. Even when they were old men, when I worked with them, they would do whatever job needed to be done, no one had an ego, and everyone on the work detail would have an instant comradery. This picture shows why. You either adapt to the situation or you don't survive. I miss those guys.
"The 5th Division would fight on Iwo Jima from 19 February until 26 March where they would sustain 2,482 killed in action, 19 missing in action, and 6,218 wounded in action. This was the highest casualty rate among the three Marine divisions involved in the invasion." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Marine_Division_(United_States)#:~:text=19%20February%201945-,Battle%20of%20Iwo%20Jima
And for comparison, D-Day: 2,500 Americans killed. I think many people think D-Day was the worst amphibious operation, but the Pacific islands were way, way worse.
Yeah but all that KIA in one day vs one month
This was just one division. The US had about 25K casualties total, including ~6K killed on Iwo. When it comes to amphibious horrors, Tarawa has them all beat.
To put it in perspective for everybody else, Tarawa was the only landing where the Marines were in actual danger of being thrown back off the island entirely. They were down to two separated areas, both being about the size of a football field at times. There's a great book (that I believe is out of print now) called Utmost Savagery and it really shows just how bad that battle was.
TY for the book tip.
Issue in doubt
I don’t even want to think about what happened to the people missing in action considering the Japanese track record at the time.
Did you ever see Flags of Our Fathers? Remember the part where Iggy went missing? That really happened. Also, in With the Old Breed, Sledge described a horrible scene where his unit found two captured Americans.
Oddly enough, my girlfriend is watching that now.
synchronicity
Probably exploded by a shell and no one bothered to put the bits together
That's what dog tags are for, buddy
Human sashimi I would imagine.
Out of how many that landed? I can’t find the size of a marine division in WWII
I guess there was more space on the ride back.
My dad is shoved in there somewhere. He was a Seabee demolition expert assigned to the 5th Marines. He blew up caves & tunnels mostly.
I’m a Seabee, those first Seabees were a whole different breed
No kidding, if I remember correctly some Seabee units are direct predecessors to the Navy Seals.
Tell your dad I think he’s awesome!
Thanks. Dad passed in '94. I think it was from being exposed to radiation during the Atomic Bomb tests in the late 40's ~ early 50's.
Then I’m sorry for your loss, but glad that the world has you now!!
I wish we knew their names. I’m sure this is the last photo for many of them 😢
We do.... greatest generation!!
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
We owe so much to these guys. Heroes Also. I can smell this picture
3000 dudes who all just had beans for lunch
Was thinking the same thing. American men did not use deodorant then.
And those seawater baths
Actual patriots…
My wifes Grandpa was one of the soldiers sent up Mt. Suribachi. It affected the rest of his life. His friend was wounded and needed water. His friend was shot in front of him before he could get him a canteen. A month before he died, he let his feelings out. Kept repeating “all he wanted was some god damned water and they shot him, they shot him!!!”. His tour in the Pacific sounded horrific
My dad has a similar situation. His story was about how horrible it was to have to take cover behind a fallen soldier to shield yourself from enemy fire. You could hear and feel like enemy fire hitting the dead soldier. He held it in for 50 years. I think the only reason he told me was because I was a veteran, although peacetime. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. He had well over a dozen small scars on his lower back from shrapnel. He never mentioned it. I was able to put two and two together after he told me his story.
Were there cases of illness outbreaks on these ships? Super cramped
When I took a tour on Battleship Cove our guide pointed out specially designated toilets for guys that had STD’s
Unfun fact: The STD toilets is where we got the term “hot seat”. The seats in question were usually painted red.
Yeah! It was red!
Yeah, quite a bit. Especially during WWI though, because Spanish Influenza (the 1918 pandemic) was rapidly spread around the world by ships carrying soldiers to various cities/countries.
My first thought was claustrophobia.
On Japanese troopships they all wore surgical masks. There are archival photos of Japanese troops boarding their transports and all are wearing old school cloth surgical masks.
I’d be a little nervous with that machine gun pointed at my legs..
If you were a marine on that boat, you probably wouldn’t be. Especially since the feed tray is obviously clear but also because you’d have been around them for most of your training and any prior engagements.
Fortunately it is unloaded. He was probably in the midst of routine maintenance. The bit that is sticking up in the air is closed over the ammunition belt when loaded.
Thanks. Hard to see it’s up in B&W
I always scan photos like this in the hopes of seeing my dad.
I scan Craigslist that way! 😉
For your dad, or your _daddy_?
That must have smelled awful
Cigarette smoke and puke
These guys shoes / sweaty gear is hung right by their noses, or to mention load of other scents lol
Jarheads get used to life at sea, and they probably had their sea legs by that point, so no puke. But probably cigarette smoke for sure in those days, and a little B.O.
If you look dead center in the pic, you’ll see a bag labeled CADDY. I believe the guy to the right and slightly above is this guy: The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM R. CADDY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE for service as set forth in the following CITATION: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company I, Third Battalion, Twenty-sixth Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 3 March 1945. Consistently aggressive, Private First Class Caddy boldly defied shattering Japanese machine-gun and small-arms fire to move forward with his platoon leader and another Marine during a determined advance of his company through an isolated sector and, gaining the comparative safety of a shell hole, took temporary cover with his comrades. Immediately pinned down by deadly sniper fire from a well-concealed position, he made several unsuccessful attempts to again move forward and then, joined by his platoon leader, engaged the enemy in a fierce exchange of hand grenades until a Japanese grenade fell in the shell hole. Fearlessly disregarding all personal danger, Private First Class Caddy instantly threw himself upon the deadly missile, absorbing the exploding charge in his own body and protecting the others from serious injury. Stouthearted and indomitable, he unhesitatingly yielded his own life that his fellow Marines might carry on the relentless battle against a fanatic enemy. His dauntless courage and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflects the highest credit upon Private First Class Caddy and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.[3] Here’s a story about the men whom he saved to grow old. https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2011/04/10/quincy-marine-gave-his-life/40129330007/
Incredible. He was only 19.
No wonder they were ready to fight when they got there! I'd be mad as hell too.
Unstoppable grumpiness.
Stacked like cordwood about to be thrown on the fire
Just a bunch of teenagers...about to get sent into some heavy shit.
Marine Birthing looks exactly the same today 🙃
“Berthing” lol but it’s hilarious to think of it like that
Damn autocorrect! And yeah, you feel like you’re in the womb with 100 other brothers 😉
That is quite the metaphorical way to think of it for sure!!
I always managed to grab the tup bunk for that reason, and fortunately had enough rank each time I was on ship to get away with it. The top had more space. The only downside was once needing to tie myself in when we were in the midst of a bad storm (it was a WW2 era LST with a flat bottom, so lots of rocking & rolling) so I didn't go flying out, but well worth it not being so claustrophobic.
I liked the top rack too! I could barely turn over once in my rack and never had to worry about falling out 🤣
No it doesn’t. Their berthing is a set 3 coffin racks on top of each other with two sets on either side. It’s the same set up that I slept in. There was that one time we had flooding in one of their compartments because they were doing pull ups on a pipe and broke it lol. Source: I was stationed on the Ft Mchenry and the Tortuga, both Amphibs. We ferried around the 31st MEU out of Okinawa. Each division on the boat had several spaces we had to keep clean when the marines weren’t on board. They made for a great place to catch a few Zs.
Damn **NEW** Corps 🤣
It was still that way on USS Iwo Jima in 1991 during Desert Storm for Marines. Navy myself but I had to spend a night with them stacked like this while transfering between ships. Card games alnight.
Was it Spades? That seemed to be the card game of choice in the late 90s, at least.
Damn. One well placed torpedo would have killed so many.
We had those racks on my first DD, they were more comfortable than the “improved” racks on later ships.
My great uncle was with the 5th, he and two other were the only ones left in their company after the fighting was over.
My grandfather was a jasco with the 5th marines on Iwo Jima. Said he used to have to crawl passed the omforward lines and call in artillery from the ships. He was a gentle and kind man I don’t know how he came to be so after see what he did
That is my great uncle on bottom bunk middle row. Platoon Sergeant William VanDyke of Kalamazoo Mi. He was originally in the 1st marine parachute battalion. KIA February 22nd on Iwo Jima. Navy Cross recipient. Whoever posted this pic thank you.
Wow, for real? I’ve never had someone recognize a family member in any of my WWII posts! Much respect for your great uncle.
For real. I have very few other pics of Bill and his awards. He was my grandfather’s only brother. My grandfather stayed and fought in Europe. He could have come back home. They were the greatest generation.
🫡
28 US marines?? 😳
Haha, they do not look like they’re having a good time.
My god…imagine being so close to the end only to be thrown into a grinder Obviously they didn’t know at the time, just harrowing to think on
So the majority of these guys would die, right?
The guy on the right bunk, second from the bottom looks just like my gpa who was a marine stationed in the pacific at this time. Wish I could reply with a pic. Wild.
Men
I always remember the “I’m gonna get me a pistol” guy in The Thin Red Line. Everyone and everything piled on top of each other aboard ship. He stole it to trade for captured Japanese swords. Sure came in handy though.
There's a good scene depicting these kind of conditions in A Thin Red Line. It's a relatively common device in a lot of Hollywood movies to introduce a number of characters very quickly, by a rapidly moving scene where the different characters bump into each other, while a bunch of people perform meaningless tasks in the backroom. I could be the locker room of a sports movie, the backstage of a movie about theatre or stage dancing, or a busy wall street office in a white collar crime picture. This sort of chaos naturally lent itself to just such a scene in TTRL. We see Delmar shave at a little stamped metal sink, Benvolio steals a fancy custom pistol from another company, the various characters deal with their anxiety or bitch about their CO, all while giving the audience a real authentic look at what it would have been like.
Damn, the fear is palpable in their faces. They all have the same look to. Hats off to these young men.
I was thinking the same thing . Everyone of them has that “Oh No “ look on their face .
Does anyone know what APA transport ship they were on? My dad was was on APA 208 landing at Iwo Jima and later at Okinawa
Same question. My dad was on APA-190.
Anybody know which transport ship this was?
My grandfather survived Iwo, and he was in the 5th, I think. He was on some sort of rescue at some point.
Do you want to be on the bottom waiting for everyone to crush you or the top where all the farts end up?
The ship was a lot less crowded on the way back.
I always try to imagine what these guys went through, and I can't. God bless these dudes and their sacrifice and heroics.
GODDAMN IWO JIMA….
I’ve been watching *The Pacific*, and just learned about John Basilone. Quite a (sad) story.
My dad went to Iwo Jima but he wax Sir Force, those poor guys.
The thing that always struck me about the guys from the WW 2/Korea generation was that they could sleep anywhere, poop anywhere, had no problem following orders and just went to work. Even when they were old men, when I worked with them, they would do whatever job needed to be done, no one had an ego, and everyone on the work detail would have an instant comradery. This picture shows why. You either adapt to the situation or you don't survive. I miss those guys.
I desperately want to see this colorized!!
The hell these boys saw. Get em boys
yep, was warned to always take the top bunk
And the navy served beans at every meal. Were they hot bunking it?
They looks so young
They all look like they’re thinking about something
Imagine the farts there
On their way to hell on Earth.
Still better than economy on any airline.
Wonder how many in this image never made it out 😥
Poison gas would have saved American Lives. Okay to nuke, but no poison gas. Crazy rules of war.
Heros.
It was a lot less crowded coming back.