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San Diego Union-Tribune
February 17, 2008 'They were there and then no more,' survivor says
By Helen Gao, Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON – The 63rd anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, where America gained one of its bloodiest victories in World War II, was commemorated yesterday at a sunset ceremony that drew about 200 veterans and their families.
A 21-gun salute was fired at the Camp Pendleton ceremony, held on a lawn overlooking the Pacific. Tuxedoed veterans placed a wreath at the Iwo Jima war monument, then stood solemnly in a row with their hands on their hearts while taps was played.
Joe Garza, chairman of the Iwo Jima Memorial Committee, spoke at the brief ceremony, recounting the sacrifices made by the 6,821 service members who died to secure the island.
“They were there and then no more – the Jims, the Jacks, the Bobs that hailed from all parts of the USA – never to share the joy of a caring wife, a son, a daughter, a grandchild, and never to make their mark in the future,” said Garza, 84.
As a 21-year-old, Garza fought against the Japanese for the duration of the battle – 36 days. He's been back to Iwo Jima four times.
“That was really a battle to remember. We always remember the 6,821. We don't want to forget them ever,” he said after the ceremony.
The Battle of Iwo Jima, which lasted from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945, is revered as one of the proudest chapters in the history of the Marine Corps.
About 70,000 Marines fought an estimated 21,000 Japanese troops over control of the island in the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the battle, about 27,000 Americans were either dead or wounded. On the Japanese side, nearly all perished. Historians estimated that only 1,083 Japanese survived.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, 27 Medals of Honor were bestowed on Marines and sailors for heroic conduct on Iwo Jima.
The image of five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raising a flag atop Mount Suribachi, a volcano at the southern tip of the island, is one of the most celebrated photographs of the war.
The survivors of the battle are now in their 80s. Many more have since passed away. Those who attended the event yesterday have been coming for years, even decades.
Doug Barnett, 85, is one who has faithfully attended the annual Camp Pendleton event. He recalled that as a 20-year-old Marine, he was one of the first to land on the island. He said that for the 36 days he was there, it was constant battle day and night.
“You didn't have time to be scared. You got past that,” Barnett said.
“Hellish” was a word used more than once to describe the battle conditions.
“It was noisy; it was cold. It was really scary,” said Damaso Sutis, 82, another Iwo Jima veteran.
While the Japanese were firing from bunkers, caves and trenches, U.S. forces were completely exposed, Sutis recalled.
“You never saw the enemy. They were so well-entrenched and so disciplined. We saw them only after the fact,” he said. “We were so out in the open. There was no place to hide ever.”
Battle survivor Jim Earle, 81, said he loves attending the commemoration because it's a chance for him to experience all over again the camaraderie of being a Marine.
But with sadness, he added, “The old faces are fading away and passing on.”
February 17, 2008 'They were there and then no more,' survivor says
By Helen Gao, Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON – The 63rd anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, where America gained one of its bloodiest victories in World War II, was commemorated yesterday at a sunset ceremony that drew about 200 veterans and their families.
A 21-gun salute was fired at the Camp Pendleton ceremony, held on a lawn overlooking the Pacific. Tuxedoed veterans placed a wreath at the Iwo Jima war monument, then stood solemnly in a row with their hands on their hearts while taps was played.
Joe Garza, chairman of the Iwo Jima Memorial Committee, spoke at the brief ceremony, recounting the sacrifices made by the 6,821 service members who died to secure the island.
“They were there and then no more – the Jims, the Jacks, the Bobs that hailed from all parts of the USA – never to share the joy of a caring wife, a son, a daughter, a grandchild, and never to make their mark in the future,” said Garza, 84.
As a 21-year-old, Garza fought against the Japanese for the duration of the battle – 36 days. He's been back to Iwo Jima four times.
“That was really a battle to remember. We always remember the 6,821. We don't want to forget them ever,” he said after the ceremony.
The Battle of Iwo Jima, which lasted from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945, is revered as one of the proudest chapters in the history of the Marine Corps.
About 70,000 Marines fought an estimated 21,000 Japanese troops over control of the island in the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the battle, about 27,000 Americans were either dead or wounded. On the Japanese side, nearly all perished. Historians estimated that only 1,083 Japanese survived.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, 27 Medals of Honor were bestowed on Marines and sailors for heroic conduct on Iwo Jima.
The image of five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raising a flag atop Mount Suribachi, a volcano at the southern tip of the island, is one of the most celebrated photographs of the war.
The survivors of the battle are now in their 80s. Many more have since passed away. Those who attended the event yesterday have been coming for years, even decades.
Doug Barnett, 85, is one who has faithfully attended the annual Camp Pendleton event. He recalled that as a 20-year-old Marine, he was one of the first to land on the island. He said that for the 36 days he was there, it was constant battle day and night.
“You didn't have time to be scared. You got past that,” Barnett said.
“Hellish” was a word used more than once to describe the battle conditions.
“It was noisy; it was cold. It was really scary,” said Damaso Sutis, 82, another Iwo Jima veteran.
While the Japanese were firing from bunkers, caves and trenches, U.S. forces were completely exposed, Sutis recalled.
“You never saw the enemy. They were so well-entrenched and so disciplined. We saw them only after the fact,” he said. “We were so out in the open. There was no place to hide ever.”
Battle survivor Jim Earle, 81, said he loves attending the commemoration because it's a chance for him to experience all over again the camaraderie of being a Marine.
But with sadness, he added, “The old faces are fading away and passing on.”