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Wading Ashore Among Bodies. A tribute to Arnold Cook and his service to America in World War II and Beyond Thank you Uncle Arnold. World War II. He remembers what we should never forget. “Freedom is never free!”. 235 th Anniversary. Joining the Marine Corps. Born - November 25, 1920
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Wading Ashore Among Bodies A tribute to Arnold Cook and his service to America in World War II and Beyond Thank you Uncle Arnold.
World War II He remembers what we should never forget. “Freedom is never free!”
Joining the Marine Corps • Born - November 25, 1920 • Entered Marine Corps- Age 22, San Diego, Cal.- July 2, 1942- 8 weeks Boot camp • E Company 2nd Battalion- 6th Marines (2/6) • Platoon 532
Short History of the 2nd Battalion 6th Marines May to July 1941 The battalion is reassigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade and deploys to garrison Reykjavik, Iceland against German invasion. March 1942 The battalion returns to San Diego and is reassigned to 2nd Marine Division. Fall 1942 The battalion sails to Wellington, New Zealand where it begins to have advanced combat training. Nov. 21, 1943 The battalion lands on Guadalcanal and quickly becomes a vital influence in the final days of that campaign. June 15, 1944 The battalion fights on Saipan in the Marianas Islands. Sept. 1945 The battalion deploys to Nagasaki, Japan and takes part in the occupation of Japan until July 1945.
Saipan landing - 15 Jun 1944 • 2d 6th marines Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Raymond L. Murray. Composed of companies E,F,G,H • 2/6th Marines assigned to land First Wave (Initial Assualt Force) Beaches Red 2 and Red 3 (Left Flank) assualt landing craft drift 400 yards in current and land mostly Red 1 and Red 2, bunching up and congesting the left flank. Left flank advance line for day 1 is code named O-1. • On the Red Beaches, the 2d and 3d Battalions of the 6th Marines encountered stiff resistance and suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment.6th Regiment could force only a shallow, 75 to 100 yard beachhead across the coastal road. Company F of the 2d Battalion already had elements on the O-1 line, however, because this unit had landed north of its assigned beach between Company F (along the beach). • Company E existed a gap which was subsequently filled by Company I of the 3d Battalion. Japanese attack force infiltrates thru gap and attacks rear area. • About noon, two Japanese tanks moved from covered positions to the north, along the beach road, and through the lines of Company F, 6th Marines. Apparently not realizing where they were, they stopped to have a look around, the leading tank even "unbuttoning" its turret. At this point, bazookas and AT grenades from Company F converged on the surprised visitors and destroyed them. • Shortly before dusk, men of Companies F and I, along the left of the 6th Marines' lines, observed large groups of Japanese streaming down from the hills onto the coastal flats well to the north of the regiment's lines. As a precaution, taken by the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, a strongpoint was established on a small hummock about 75 yards forward of the lines. • The first attack against the left flank took place at about 2200 was a probing attack. Striking along the coast road against Companies F and I.
DAY TWO 6/16/44 • At 0300, after a series of reconnaissance-in-force actions by the enemy, the final sustained effort of the night began. A Japanese bugler75 sounded a loud, clear call on the tense night air, and with a waving of flags, loud screams, and a brandishing of swords, the attack was launched. Men of Companies F and I opened with accurate, devastating fire. • By 0545, the Japanese pressure reached a peak; two Marine 37mm guns near the beach were knocked out and their crews forced back. Although the main positions held, a false report reached the 6th Marines' command post to the effect that Company F's lines along the beach had been forced back about 50 yards. This erroneous report, probably fostered by the withdrawal of the two 37mm crews and the infiltration of small enemy groups to the regimental command post, had no basis in fact. Five medium tanks from Company B, 2d Tank Battalion, arrived and under the fusillade, the enemy effort withered and died. • With the coming of daylight, it was discovered that several small harassing and infiltrating groups had penetrated to rear areas. Mopping-up patrols from the 6th Marines' scout-sniper platoon immediately set about the task of finding and eliminating the enemy groups. • During 16 June, the 6th Marines (on the left, pivot flank) held the same general position, consolidating and reorganizing front lines. In the afternoon, remaining elements of the regimental weapons company (75mm halftracks and 37mm guns) came ashore and were incorporated into defensive plans. Only sporadic activity (mostly mopping-up of Japanese infiltrators and by-passed groups) occurred in the 6th Marines' zone during the day and early evening.
Private SNAFU: "It's Murder She Says“- 4:40 • Click on the link below. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Yab7iuLcQ
The Peace Corps A family hears their nation and the world’s call one more time.
The Honor Flight Thank you, Uncle Arnold.
