“Americans never quit.” Douglas MacArthur Special Feature The National Memorial Day Parade 6 A recap of the first official event welcoming Carrying on the home our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan legacy As the years pass, our dedication to preserv- Articles ing the legacy of the World War II genera- tion should never waver. In this issue, we The Invasion of France demonstrate how the generations who have 10 Behind Enemy Lines by followed the Greatest Generation have Veterans of the 99th Infantry Division march Laura Ymker in the National Memorial Day Parade picked up the torch, and are working to car- As Allied troops stormed ashore in Normandy, a rying on the ideals for which our World War II veterans fought. First, we recap the crucial mission was unfolding throughout German- recent National Memorial Day Parade, at which well over 100,000 people gathered to occupied France pay tribute to our veterans and fallen heroes. Then, two historians, one aspiring and The Story of Two Men on Iwo one with a special connection to our World War II veterans, tell stories behind the 16 As Told Through Their Letters by stories of two of the war’s greatest battles. They are then joined by the veterans of Mary Beth Kennedy Voda World War II themselves, recounting their own experiences, in their own words. A Japanese general and an American Marine think of home while preparing for battle Features Return to Pisa by 19 William Kaufman 28 Conspicuous Gallantry on Guadalcanal An American soldier returns to the battlefield, and An excerpt from the radio documentary series recalls a choice that haunts him to this day Veterans Chronicles, featuring an interview AWOL in Alaska by with legendary Marine Mitch Paige 23 Dr. Walter E. Howard A story from the often-overlooked Aleutian cam- 31 World War II Book Club paign - the first time foreign forces occupied American soil since the War of 1812 32 Committee Activities Available from the World War II Veterans Committee! June 6, 1944: Despite unfavorable weather forecasts, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Com- mander Allied Expeditionary Force, had given the order to go. At 0200 hours, British and American airborne divisions began parachuting behind enemy lines in occupied France. Four and a half hours later, after intense air and naval bombardment, massive assault waves of troops began storming the shores of Normandy at five beaches codenamed Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and Omaha. The Allied invasion of Europe had begun. In the award-winning audio documentary, D-Day: They Were There, you are taken back in time with the men who led the attack against Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Available on CD, this program combines contem- porary interviews with archival sounds in a tribute to those who fought, and died, on what would become known as “The Longest Day.” To Order, send $7.95, plus $2 shipping, for each copy desired to: World War II Veterans Committee/1030 15th St, NW Suite 856/Washington, DC 20005 Or order by phone with Visa/MasterCard at 202-777-7272 World War II Chronicles - Summer, 2006 - 2 From the Editor Preserving the Legacy By Tim G.W. Holbert It is a story well known to us all. On April 18, 1942, just over four On Veterans Day—November 11, 2006—the World War II Vet- months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, sixteen B-25 bombers erans Committee will honor the surviving Doolittle Raiders at the launched from the deck of the USS Hornet on a daring secret Edward J. Herlihy Awards Banquet, part of its Ninth Annual mission. Their target—Japan. Taking the enemy by surprise, the Conference. These men represent the finest of the greatest of B-25s, led by then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, struck military tar- generations, and will be joined by heroic veterans of later eras— gets in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya. from Korea, Vietnam, and our brave young service members currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is fitting that this cel- Despite inflicting minimal damage compared to later bombing ebration of America’s veterans from across the generations be- raids on Japan, the Doolittle Raid was a tremendous boost to gins with the veterans of World War II, who so many of us have American morale. Since Pearl Harbor, U.S. forces in the Pacific long admired. had been reeling, and Japan had been asserting its domination over an expanding empire. Doolittle’s attack struck fear into the Preserving the legacy of the World War II generation has been Japanese command, which recalled fighter aircraft units back home the mission of the World War II Veterans Committee since its to defend against further raids—a strategic shift that would have inception. As is tradition, the summer issue of World War II huge consequences at the next turning point of the war—Mid- Chronicles is dedicated to those who are working to keep the his- way. tory of America’s World War II veterans alive. Following a recap of the Committee-sponsored National Memorial Day Parade, The Doolittle Raid was not without cost. Two crew members we include an article by Laura Ymker, a college student and aspir- were killed during the crash-landing of their plane, while another ing historian who this summer served as an intern with the Com- died attempting to bail out of his aircraft. Eight were captured mittee. Laura’s dedication to telling the story of America’s veter- by the Japanese after their plane was crash-landed. Three of whom ans was strongly evident, and if she is any indication, the legacy of were executed, while one died in captivity—all suffered cruel and our veterans is in safe hands. inhumane treatment. In essence, this issue is a demonstration of the entire mission of Like so many of America’s veterans of World War II, the Doolittle the World War II Veterans Committee: to provide a forum for Raiders realized the dangers of the mission they were given, but the veterans of World War II to pass their knowledge and expe- they approached it with bold determination to succeed. They riences on to younger generations, who in turn will keep that knew the cost of defeat, and refused to accept it. Over sixty years legacy alive for generations to come. And while we hope that you later, too often we believe that victory was inevitable, that the will join us for the upcoming Ninth Annual Conference, whether might of the United States and its allies was bound to prevail. But you are a veteran, know a veteran, or admire our veterans, we during these dark early days of the war, none could be so sure. hope that you will take the opportunity, this Veterans Day, to Victory was achieved by the heroic sacrifices of millions of Ameri- share the history of America’s veterans with a young person. They cans of all ages, races, and creeds, who saw the war through, and will appreciate it more than you know. preserved democracy over tyranny. World War II Chronicles, Issue XXXV, Summer 2006. A quarterly publication of the World War II Veterans Committee, 1030 World War II Veterans Committee 15th St, NW Suite 856, Washington, DC 20005. Telephone: 202-777- David Eisenhower - Honorary Chairman 7272. Fax: 202-408-0624. James C. Roberts - President The World War II Veterans Committee is a project of the American Michael Paradiso - Publisher Studies Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public education foundation. World Tim G.W. Holbert - Editor/Program Director War II Chronicles is mailed to donors to the World War II Veterans Committee who make a contribution of $50 or more per-year. Contri- Visit the Committee’s web site at www.wwiivets.com. butions help to fund the Committee’s various speaker conferences, student programs, the National Memorial Day Parade, documentary and oral history projects, and this publication. To make a contribution or subscribe, call 202-777-7272 or e-mail [email protected]. World War II Chronicles - Summer, 2006 - 3 November 8-11, 2006 Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel Arlington, VA This Veterans Day weekend, join the American Veterans Center as we learn from and honor our military heroes from the Greatest Generation to the latest generation. For the past eight years, veterans of World War II have come to Washington to share their experiences with friends, fam- ily, and an admiring public as part of our annual conferences. This year, they will be joined by veterans of eras since, including Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This will be an opportunity for veterans of all ages, their friends, and their fans to come together and honor their service and sacrifice. As we celebrate Veterans Day among America’s greatest heroes, we hope that you will join us for a weekend that none who attend will soon forget. Confirmed Topics and Speakers Include Veterans of the Legendary Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Maj. Gen. David M. Jones Col. Richard C. Cole Col. Robert Hite Col. Thomas Griffin M/Sgt. Ed Horton Col. Bill Bowers Veterans of the famed “The Band of Brothers” E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Lynn “Buck” Compton Don Malarkey Bill Guarnere Earl McClung Edward “Babe” Heffron Darrell “Shifty” Powers Hon. Celia Sandys - Noted author and granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill Bob Feller - Baseball Hall of Famer and veteran of the USS Alabama Dr. Jay W. Baird – Author of To Die for Germany: Heroes in the Nazi Pantheon One of sixteen B-25s taking off from the deck of the USS Hornet as part of the Doolittle Raid on Japan - April 18, 1942 Infantry Combat Against the Japanese: Okinawa Donald Dencker Leonard Laznarick John “Bos” Ensor Renwyn Triplett Col.