Cpl. Bonnin most likely was in one of the first few waves that landed on
Betio's beach. E Company's landing beach was designated as Red Beach 2 but
their LVT was forced to veer off course toward Red Beach 1 due to the heavy
fire probably coming from "The Pocket."
According to Lonnie Yancey they were in amtrac
32 or 36.
Lt. Dahlgren and Cpl. Bonnin were wounded by
the same grenade. Bonnin threw it and the Jap caught it and tossed it back
in the shell hole that we were in. We had three second and seven second
grenades, evidently, this was a 7 second one. I bandaged Bonnin left arm
and side but couldn't help the Lt. He had most of his left side and neck
blown off.
Sgt. Godwin, who took over command from Lt. Dahlgren,
ordered the Marines back to the amtrac where they spent the first night.
The 2nd day all that were alive headed for the beach and all made it that
far.
Later the day the remnants of the platoon dashed toward the aircraft revetments.
Pvt. Emil Ragucci got out the morning of the second
day but came back to get Yancey. As they started up the side of the shellhole
on the beach side, Ragucci was shot and fell back into Yancey's arms dead.
"I don't know whether any others veered off with us or not. I
do know that we were the only one to get over the sea wall. Can't tell you
how, but we did. A Jap threw a grenade in with us and it went in the engine
room and knocked the motor out and we fell into the sixteen inch shell hole.
There was a pill box just above the hole with a back entrance to it just
above the amtrac and the shell hole. Japs were between us and the beach
also all around us. They didn't know we were in the shell hole and it was
a turkey shoot. We were isolated for the three days. Never saw any other
Marines anywhere near us."1
Notes
1. Letter to Tom Godwin 25 April 1999.
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copyright 2005 T.O.T.W.
Created 26 January 2005
