I was a corpsman and made 3 beachheads. Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian. I was 21 years old and never out of Montana.
I remember going in. We were 1st wave on Red Beach. I was in 2nd platoon, L Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. They stopped the Higgins boat about 600 yards out and let the ramp down. The bullets were coming through the ramp and there were several dead that we had to jump over. I was way in back of the boat. As I jumped over many men and jumped into the water one of my buddies was laying in front of the ramp shot. I pushed him back onto the boat and started swiming. We didn't go up to Red Beach as it was to hot with rifle fire. We went over to the long dock and went up to the beach where the 2nd Battalion was located.
Another thing I remember was a Higgins Boat on my left must have taken a direct morter shell because I saw several bodies spining in the air. There were 36 men in each of the Higgins Boats and I don't think there was a boy that got out. I think these were men in K company. We were 600 yards from the beach.
My company commander was LeBlanc. I saw where he almost died. When we had the reunion in Huntsville, he was there and stood me at attention.
Thanks Don and Les.
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