We landed in 6 man rubber boats 2nd day on Green Beach. That night a Jap bomber, washing machine Charley as they were called, dropped a bomb close by killing one of our men named Pickering and wounded some but don`t remember how many. The next day we passed through Major Mike Ryan`s lines about half way down the island on Black Beach side. After we passed through his lines we started to draw alot of fire and we knocked out hidden bunkers. At dusk we stopped moving for the day and set up our lines. Some of us were too far out and we had orders to pull back. That night the Japs pulled a banzaii attack on us....A & B company of 1/6. The next morning the Japs laid dead, almost stacked on top of each other in front and in our lines. We also lost several dead and wounded Marines. B co. got hit the hardest. Another Jap bomber came over that night but dropped bombs on the Japanese side. The Jap bomber came in so low you could see it very plainly because there were fires burning from the Navy shelling a few yards in front of us. Next day we went to end of island and it was called secured. I remember sitting on a fallen coconut log and eating a ration fruit bar.....that was my Thanksgiving Dinner 1943.
William Jefferies
Email - [email protected]
copyright 2001 Wheaton, Illinois
Created 28 October 2001
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