Vietnam Remembered by Sgt

Recruiting Diet Wrestling How do you Marine doesn't Leather neck grapples convince people recognize his wife `shine' gold during to leave paradise after deployment interservice competition Story on Page A-8 Story on A-9 Story on Page B-1 HAWAII MARINE VoInn um\ pa men! for deliNen to MCAS housing/81 per four -week period. VOL. 13 NO. 14 K 111,:4111F . if W 111. APRIL 4, 1984 TWENTY-FOUR PAGES He was beaten, stabbed and Jacob Vouza: left for dead by the Japanese in war in the South Pacific, he interrogation by Japanese After the Battle of the Tenaru, decided to return to the police force soldiers, they discovered a small which the horribly wounded scout then reorganized into a network of American flag in one of Vouza's had also given the warning, the scouts and spies for the pockets. It was a flag that had Marine command learned of his Australian Navy. These villagers been given to him by Marines. injuries and suffering. As Vouza assisted the Australian Coast- Thinking he was a spy, and after lay in the military hospital at watchers keeping vigil against he refused to answer intense Lunga Point, the Marines Japanese attacks to the Solomon questioning, his long and brutal presented to him the American Island chain. torture began. They tied the Flag that had flown over the Early August's sweltering heat middle-aged scout to a tree, beach during the initial assault of to Guadalcanal. As a further the Marines spread-eagle, and began didn't scorch as they pummel him with the butts of their memorial to his incredible landed on Guadalcanal and weapons. When he still refused to heroism, the Marines decorated Tulagi as much as the heavy fire answer his questions, his captors Vouza with the Silver Star Medal from hidden Japanese positions. began to work on his flesh with for bravery in combat. Although Guadalcanal would bayonets. They stabbed him five Later, as peace was restored to later be called the turning point of times in the chest, then, with the Guadalcanal and the fighting World War II for the ground forces traditional Japanese sword, moved north towards Japan, in their island-hopping campaign, slashed his throat and left him for Vouza played an active part in it took many months to completely dead. helping the Solomon Islands to drive the Japanese from their cave Amazingly. he regained grow and prosper by establishing and bunker network. It was here, consciousness, then managed to many schools and civic programs. in late August, that Vouza would gnaw through his bonds and half In recognition of his accomp- have given his life for sateen- crawl, half-stagger three miles to a lishments, both on the battlefield garbed warriors called U.S. Marine outpost. Upon reaching and off, the British Government Marines. the safety of the Marine position, awarded the old warrior the While on a scouting mission for he refused medical attention until George Medal, the highest award the Leathernecks of the 1st after he had given a full report for civilian bravery in combat. Marine Division, Vouza was concerning enemy strength on the captured. During the initial island. Cont. on Page A-4 SOLEMN HONORS - Col. Robert Liston- Jacob Vouza, 87, an Australian Coastwatcher Wakefield, Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, scout during World War II. Sir Jacob will Pacific, pays his last respects on behalf of the always be remembered by the Corps for his U.s. and the Marine Corps at the funeral for one heroics during the Battle for Guadalcanal in of the Corps own, March 17, on Guadalcanal. August, 1942. (Photo by Randy Bumgaurtner, Liston-Wakefield was selected to represent the Peace Corps) United States at the State funeral held for Sir Guadalcanal his name became an An obviously moved Colonel immortal niche etched beside Robert Liston-Wakefield would detail his by Sgt. Chuck Jenks words like courage, dedication, later recotint in colorful determination and honor. Sir experience in Vouza's village, Jacob's tale will never be including the reaction as he On March 15, the Corps lost one forgotten by the Leathernecks. presented to Sir Jacob's widow a of its own. flag which had flown over the He wasn't an American and he Because of the stature of Sir Arizona Memorial the very day of wasn't a Marine. For his actions Jacob's heroic accomplishments his death. in the South Pacific during World toward the U.S. and particularly Jacob Vouza was born before War II however, and the the Leathernecks' war effort on the turn of the century in the small contributions he made to his small Guadalcanal, the Commanding thatch-roofed village of Papagu island nation after the war, he General, Fleet Marine Force, on Guadalcanal. In 1916, he became a legend to Marines, Pacific upon hearing of Sir joined, what would later be called, respected by all his comrades, and Jacob's death at age 87 the Royal Solomon Police Force. a hero to his countrymen. immediately dispatched a Marine For 25 years he served with the He was Sergeant Major Sir colonel to the Solomons to serve as force until 1941, when he retired at Jacob Vouza. the official U.S. and Marine Corps the rank of sergeant major. ROYAL PROCESSION - Members of the friend of the Marine Corps during World War II, To the young Marines fighting representative at the State funeral Royal Solomon Police Force Band lead the March 17, on Guadalcanal. (Photo by Randy on the bitter coral speck called held for Vouza. With the advent of impending funeral dirge for Sir Jacob Vouza, a hero and Bumgaurtner, Peace Corps). Vietnam remembered by Sgt. R.D. Dewey gear and prepared to hit the beach Marines within the village. By the may be able to kill us individually, at Da Nang. When the ramp went time we had received the call for but they can't really beat the In February 1965, U.S. down on the beach, I was help, the damage had already Marines. President Lyndon Johnson expecting something from the been done. Four Marines had been "I began thinking of about the ordered the bombing North movie, 'The Sands of Iwa Jima.' killed and many had been V.C.s who were out in the woods Vietnam in hopes of preventing Instead, there was a group of wounded. The enemy had already laughing at how they had come in further communist infiltration Vietnamese men and women broken contact and ran off into the and killed Marines," he continued. into the Republic of South welcoming us with flower leis, and jungle. "It made me so angry that I Vietnam. The North Vietnamese asking us for 'chop chop' (food) "Before this time, I had thought immediately wanted to go out and Regular Army and the guerrilla and `samokes' (cigarettes). I was was like a television show find those guys and wipe them forces of the Viet Cong were not war - out. really expecting explosions on the bloodless and a lot of fun. But deterred. On March 7, 1965, 3,500 beach as I "Besides hatred, I felt another and enemy fire, and there helped collect the dead and Marines landed at Da Nang, we were being greeted by ladies reaction," explained Bohannon. recover parts of dismembered "It wasn't so much fear. but a South Vietnam -a city very close with flowers. I suffered a great bodies, the to the 17th parallel divides true facts of war realization that this was the real that deal of culture shock at the initial became painfully apparent. the two countries. incident." thing out here. This wasn't a game By July 1965, the number of "I recognized one of the men we were playing, where at the end American forces in Vietnam Bohannon was a member of Co. that had been killed from the everyone gets up and says, 'Hey climbed to 75,000. That number B, 1st Bn., 3d Marines, name on his rifle stock," explained you guys really got us that time.' It continued to climb steadily until headquartered in Da Nang. He the 19-year veteran. "He had been wasn't a game; it was real. That early 1968 when there were was part of a security detachment hit in the chest by a grenade or realization really drove the point approximately 510,000 Armerican at a place the Marines called the something else very explosive. It home to me. I wasn't nearly as combat troops in Vietnam. ESSO Plant oil facility. really hit me hard because he was reckless as I had been in the past. I Among those leathernecks of Approximately 1,000 to 1,500 a guy I had known and now all of a was more cautious and aware of early Vietnam was PFC Jeff meters away was the village of sudden he no longer existed. what was going on. I think that Bohannon, now a gunnery Namou, where additional Marines "I started to feel very angry and was what saved my buns a couple sergeant with Battery K, 1st Bn., served as security for Namou I wanted to get revenge on the V.C. of times later on." 12th Marines. His reflections on Bridge. It was in Namou that Some of the Marines didn't have a In September 1966, 1st Bn., 3d that time period confirm the pride, Bohanon became aware of the fighting chance. They had powder Marines travelled to Khe Sahn - READY FOR SOME ACTION - Sgt. Jeff Hohannon, now a courage, and esprit de corps harsh realizations of combat.

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