Iwo Jima Memorial & Arlington

On Tuesday, May 24 I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Marine Corps War Memorial (also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial) and Arlington National Cemetery. Both of these sites are truly national treasures and should be visited by every American. Around 1:00PM I grabbed a quick cab ride over the Potomac River from Georgetown to the Iwo Jima Memorial. When I got there, I saw that a platoon or more of Marines were on the grounds drilling for an upcoming ceremony or special event. That was pretty cool to see - and they were good! The memorial itself is monumental. I can not even describe the size and imposing power and emotion that the statue conveys. It is an absolutely incredible piece of art! I photographed the monument from all angles and circled it more than a few times. There are four informational markers surrounding the statue detailing the history of the Corps, the battle for Iwo Jima, the flag raising, and making the memorial. I left there feeling very inspired and overwhelmingly proud of my great uncle Bob Lauritsen once again and his service on Iwo. Semper Fi Bob!

After my time at the Iwo Jima Memorial I wandered down a road that I felt would lead me to Arlington National Cemetery... and I was right. Over the next hill I began to see them in the distance, the white stone headstones dotting the green landscape. I went in through a side gate and was immediately in awe of the scene which lay sprawled out before me. Perfectly aligned, row after row, each stone standing proud... and silent. The mood there is very somber but there is a pride in the heart of each American that stands among those stones. A feeling that our freedom was earned for us by these men, and we are so very thankful for all that they have given for us. A few rows into my visit I stumbled upon a grave that I never expected to see. On the back of the stone was a bronze plaque depicting the Iwo Jima flag raising, and as I walked around to see whose grave it was I was astonished. There before me was the final resting place of Rene Gagnon, one of the six flag raisers of the famous second flag on Iwo Jima. WOW!!! Uncle Bob had seen that flag raised on February 23, 1945, and now here I stood at the grave of one of those men. Unbelievable! I then ventured on and saw several Medal of Honor markers, President William Howard Taft's grave, General Omar Bradley's grave, and then finally John F. Kennedy's burial site and the eternal flame. It was quite a special day for me. I didn't make it to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard, but I'll be back someday.

World War II Memorial and the Wall

May 21st through the 24th I was in Washington D.C. for a work-related trip. I had the good fortune of traveling with my wonderful boss who was willing to do some sightseeing with me at a few of the military monuments and memorials. So late in the day on Sunday, May 22, our itinerary took us past the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Wall. I wasn't sure that we would be visiting these memorials on this day so I was a little unprepared for the experience. And within a few photos of being at the WWII Memorial, the memory card on my camera said that it was full! I couldn't believe it. Talk about the worst timing EVER!!! So here are a few photos from the two memorials. I had to be very conservative in my process of taking pictures and, looking back on it now, I wish I would have tried some different angles or taken some different shots. But this is what I ended up with. The World War II Memorial is very spacious and open and the sound of the fountains calmly drowned out all the other noises of the bustling city. The Nebraska marker stands nestled among other state markers at the Pacific end of the memorial. The field of gold stars is presented behind an engraved marker stating. "Here we mark the price of Freedom." Each gold star represents 100 American service men or women who died in World War II, and believe me - it's a lot of stars!

On our walk to the Vietnam Memorial, we were harassed by a crabby Vietnam veteran of the 101st Airborne Division in a wheel chair. He was all bent out of shape about his benefits, about the VA screwing him over and the commie bullet still lodged in his back. He was also somewhat scornful of me wearing an "Airborne" t-shirt without having earned that distinctive honor. I felt bad for him but there wasn't much I could do. I thought it was quite ironic that I was getting chewed-out by a Screaming Eagle when the one person who I came to the wall to find was a 101st Screaming Eagle himself. So after flipping through one of the nearby directories, I was able to find the name of Donald Steven Waite, whom I have written about previously on this blog. I had planned to find the names of several other fallen soldiers, sailors and marines, but the daylight was running out, we were hungry and I had no more room on my camera. And so sadly for me, we pushed on and headed back to Georgetown. I left the two memorials inspired and in awe, filled with the hope that I will someday return and spend some more time at these two silent reminders of the cost of our freedom.

The Doolittle Raiders Reunion

On Sunday, April 17th, our group gathered once again at the Strategic Air & Space Museum to help celebrate the Doolittle Raiders 69th Anniversary Reunion. Four of the five surviving Doolittle Raiders took part in the Sunday brunch and autograph signing session, Dick Cole, Tom Griffin, David Thatcher, and Ed Saylor. Bob Hite may have been there earlier but was unable to be a part of the autograph session. Here is a James Deitz print entitled Early Launch that I was fortunate enough to have the Raiders sign. It was an amazing honor to meet these brave men, shake their hand, and give them a heart-felt "thank you."

April 18, 2011 marks the actual 69th Anniversary of the Doolittle raid. The raid marked the first strike against the Japanese home islands, and was carried out just over four months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The raid demonstrated that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack and gave Americans everywhere a much needed boost of morale. Sixteen B-25B Mitchell medium bombers were launched from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Hornet deep in theWestern Pacific Ocean. The plan called for them to bomb military targets in Japan, and to continue westward to land in China—landing a medium bomber on the Hornet was impossible. All of the aircraft involved in the bombing were lost and 11 crewmen were either killed or captured—with three of the captured men executed by the Japanese Army in China. One of the B-25s landed in the Soviet Union, where it was confiscated and its crew interned for more than a year. Thirteen entire crews, and all but one crewman of a 14th, returned either to the United States or to American forces. This photo shows a B-25 flying off the deck of the Hornet as helmeted Navy personell cheer them on. Despite the fact that none of the B-25 pilots, including Doolittle, had ever taken off from a carrier before, all 16 aircraft launched safely between 08:20 and 09:19.
Here's the crew of Airplane #1 from the 34th Squadron posing in front of their B-25 (#40-2344) on the deck of the USS Hornet. The crew is Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (second from left), pilot; Lt. Richard E. Cole, copilot; Lt. Henry A. Potter, navigator; SSgt. Fred A. Braemer, bombardier; SSgt. Paul J. Leonard, flight engineer/gunner. Lt. Col. Doolittle's bomber was the first over Japan and the first to drop its bomb load. The four incendiaries fell at 12:30 p.m. (Tokyo time) to incinerate a large factory. Doolittle then flew west to reach the coast of China after dark. By 9:30 fuel was low and unable to find an airfield in the heavy fog, Doolittle ordered his crew to bail out among the mountains of China. He then followed them into the night, his B-25 crashing on a nearby mountainside. The only injury sustained by any of the crew was a sprained ankle. Local Chinese escorted the Americans to Chuchow from where they eventually returned home safely.

Here is a B-25 bomber on permanent display at the Air & Space Museum. It has been painted to resemble one of the original Doolittle Raider aircraft.
All of the Raiders came through and looked at our exhibit as soon as they arrived. We even got a few comments from them concerning our uniforms and accoutrements. Here Tom Griffin examines our display of wartime U.S. Army gear. It was probably the greatest honor I have ever had during one of our unit display. Simply unforgettable!
This is an interior shot of a second B-25 that the museum has on display. This B-25 has a metal staircase and walkway running right along the main body of the aircraft. In addition, sections of the fuselage are cut-away so visitors can look right into the bomb bay and other areas of the aircraft. And compared to the B-17 and the B-29, this feels like a very cramped little cockpit.
Here's a life-size bronze bust of Lt. Col. Doolittle with a black and white photo of him used as a backdrop. This was behind glass so there are some interesting reflections and glares in the photo.
Jeff McCue and Matt Hazard look happy to be a part of the morning's activities. Jeff put on his favorite U.S. Navy work uniform and Mr. Hazard sported the Class A Wool Service Coat with khaki shirt and early-war black tie.
Ahhhh, campaign hats. Matt and I both love to wear this stylish piece of headgear often associated with drill instructors or stateside training.
Another portrait of Matt Hazard, this time in black and white. The distinctive unit insignias are of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
A portrait of Mr. David Jameson, our unit president. He's wearing a set of mechanics HBTs and the M41 HBT Cap. Time to go work on an airplane!
Jeff had to get just the right angle on his white Dixie-cup hat. Jeff's ever-expanding U.S. Navy display keeps getting better and better at every event.
Here's Steve Baxter all decked-out in his M42 paratrooper uniform. Looking sharp!
This is our newest member, Eric. He's only just started building his impression but it's looking pretty awesome already. Way to go, Eric!
And finally, a photo of Sergeant Krelle in my khakis and campaign hat. I have a MIVA1 bag under my left arm containing the M2A2 Service Gas Mask. The shoulder sleeve insignia is the Hawaiian Department patch. The Hawaiian Department was the Army's largest overseas department. The Hawaiian Department's two main tasks were to protect the Pacific Fleet from sabotage and defeat any invasion. In April 1941 the Army Chief of Staff assured President Roosevelt: "The Island of Oahu, due to its fortification, its garrison, and its physical characteristics, is believed to be the strongest fortress in the world." If you've ever seen the movie, From Here To Eternity, this is the patch that Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift are wearing on their sleeve.

Let's Make a T-Shirt!

So at our unit meeting last Sunday we started talking about t-shirts and the fact that our group needs an official unit shirt. We decided long ago that we would come up with a design featuring a 2nd Division photo on the front and a listing of all the cities and towns that the 2nd liberated or went through during World War II on the back. Think of it as a rock group tour shirt except for the army. Then I brought up the idea that we should do something that would be authentic for the World War II soldier to wear as well, to be worn under our uniforms when training or in the field. A lot of you may have seen a famous t-shirt design that the Airborne troops wore during the war featuring an open parachute and the words "U.S. Paratroops - Ft.Benning, Ga." Well, I commented that maybe we could do something with Camp McCoy, Wisconsin seeing as how the 2nd did a lot of their training there. Will Green google searched it to see if anything would come up and "BAM" there it was! This is a photo of Ray Nosaka at Camp McCoy sometime in 1942 with the verbage and design we were looking for.

Being a graphic designer, I said I could pretty much replicate the design and we could make a batch of them for our unit. So here it is folks! I may have to tweak a few minor things, but I think the finished product should look pretty similar to this. The first photo here is the artwork that I developed and the second photo shows what the design should look like on a plain white 1940's style t-shirt. This particular shirt is sold by At The Front for $15. You can check them out here:

http://www.atthefront.com/us/uniforms/underwear.html

March 27th Unit Meeting

The men of the 2nd I.D. LHA gathered at Brewsky's Bar & Grill on Sunday, March 27 to refine our plans for the next few months' events. The primary goal of the meeting was to decide what our course of action would be for the upcoming Doolittle Tokyo Raiders 69th Anniversary Reunion running from April 14-17. We will be focusing our efforts on doing a large static display at the Strategic Air & Space Museum on Saturday night and Sunday morning in conjunction with the reunion's other events. Our unit members will be dressed in authentic uniforms representing the navy, army infantry, engineers, mechanics and other 1942-themed impressions. I am really looking forward to this events and to hopefully meeting the five surviving Doolittle Raiders. As is the case with so many of the events we participate in, this will truly be a once in a lifetime experience!

March Rolls In Like A Lion

On Sunday, March 6, the men of "Item" Company gathered at Ft. Atkinson State Historical Park for some outdoor field training and close order drill. The scenario for the day was to envision that we were indeed training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in March of 1943 before the 2nd Division headed overseas. And while we were well prepared for our training, we were all quite unprepared for the extremely cold temperatures and blustery winds. I've been to some pretty cold events throughout my years as a reenactor, but this had to be one of the most miserable days I've been through. We were all dressed for slightly warmer weather and while the M1941 Field Jacket may be quite stylish, it's nowhere near sufficient as a cold weather coat. Brrrrrr!!! This first photo is Jeff, Kevin and Matt preparing for our first drill exercises. Looks like Mr. Hazard has been in the field for two weeks with all that scruff!

Here's a pretty cool photo of our six M-1 Garand rifles and our helmets. We'll have to work on stacking arms again once the weather gets a little nicer.

A very dapper Mr. Scott Rowe models the 5 Button Highneck Sweater and the Wool Knit Jeep Cap. Both items were well loved by the G.I.s back in 1944.
After an hour and a half of close order drill, we spent some time scouting out the area and practicing squad formations and movement. Here's a shot of Jeff and Dave pushing forward after getting the "all clear" sign from our scouts.
Ahhh, a close-up shot of yours truly. Note the world-famous "Indianhead" insignia of the 2nd Division painted on my steel pot. Looks like the cold has put me into a rather grouchy mood - either that our I'm just trying to play the part of the mean, old drill sergeant.
Kevin acted as our squad leader for the field training portion of the day. Here he discusses with Jeff the proper procedures for scouts to enter a wooded area. Our two scouts, Matt and Scott, had deserted us by this point and were nowhere to be seen.
Oh there they are! Turns out that Matt and Scott were working for the Germans and started blasting away at us as soon as we came upon their hiding places. Very tricky those two - the smirks say it all. We'll see if they ever get to be scouts again!
Pvt. Matt Hazard, or is it Jeremiah Johnson...??? Either way, he performed well in the field and we're glad he made it out for the day.
After a quick refresher course on unit hand signals we decided to pack it up and head back to the fort. That wind just blew right through us out in those woods.
We held a little admin meeting as we cracked open some K-ration canned meat and crackers. Hazard brought a six pack of bottled Coke so we all had one of those as well. It was fun to see everyone again and get in a little training, but it's safe to say that we're all ready for spring. And hopefully March will go out like a lamb and not like a lion.

In Memoriam

Last week marked the 43rd anniversary of the night SPC 4 Donald Steven Waite was killed near Quang Tri, South Vietnam on February 9. Donald, or Donnie as his family called him, was a soldier in Alpha Company of the 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. He was from Omaha, Nebraska and was the brother of Karen McGrane who is a longtime friend of my mother. My Armed Forces Day display in May 2010 was dedicated to Donnie.

As stated, Donnie was with A Co 1/502 which had been stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky before arrival in Vietnam in December 1967. February saw 1/502 in the middle of operation, “Jeb Stuart”. Many logistical problems occurred under the constant moving concept used by the Brigade. There was a great shortage of clothing, batteries, LSA, all types of class IV barrier material, demolitions, hand grenades, trip flares, booby traps, and claymore mines.

During the day of Feb. 8, the 1st Battalion continued search and destroy operations southeast of Quang Tri. Light contact was made during the day. Aerial observation and other sources had given 1/502 credit for 250 NVA killed for the period Feb. 4-8 1968. But during the night of Feb. 8, Alpha Company and Bravo Company were infiltrated by enemy sappers. Attacks were very heavy. During the night and into the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 9, eight 502nd men were killed with an additional 19 being wounded in action. Eleven NVA were killed. Among the dead were the following:

SSG Benard John Caron

Canada / Age 31

SP6 Charles J. Crawford, Jr.

Jersey City, New Jersey / Age 20

CPL Clyde Lawrence De Mello

El Cerrito, California / Age 18

SP4 Thomas Norton

New York, New York / Age 20

SP4 Charles Edward Novel

Dyersburg, Tennessee / Age 21

SP4 Benjamin John Terejko, Jr.

Solvay, New York / Age 20

2LT Douglas Burem Wade

Kingsport, Tennessee / Age 20

SP4 Donald Steven Waite

Omaha, Nebraska / Age 19

So this is my salute to Donnie. A kid doing what he loved, just trying to stay alive and make his way home. You are missed by many. You will always be remembered.