Lt Dahlgren's amtrac was assigned to land on Red Beach 2, most likely
in one of the first few waves. Dahlgren's platoon of E Company was assigned
to Red Beach 2 but their LVT was forced to veer off course toward Red
Beach 1 as they drew heavy fire coming from "The
Pocket." According to Lonnie Yancey they were in amtrac
32 or 36. "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 Lt. Dahlgren and Cpl. Bonnin were wounded by
the same grenade. Bonnin threw it and a Jap caught it and tossed it back
in the shell hole that they were in. Yancey bandaged Bonnin's left arm
and his 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.
2
Notes
1. Letter to Tom Godwin 25 April 1999.
2. From Chaplain Willard's Diary
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copyright 2005 T.O.T.W.
Created 26 January 2005 - Updated 11 October
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