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Author Topic: Interesting Iwo Jima photo link  (Read 1573 times)

Offline 11290

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Evansville, IN & Orlando, FL

Online afml

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Re: Interesting Iwo Jima photo link
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2010, 07:16:03 AM »
Lotta Mustangs! #^
A friend of mine here in Hardinsburg is writing about his experiences landing on Iwo Jima. He was one of ONLY thirteen from his original group to walk off the island.
Just returned from another trip to the NMUSAF. Tried to see all I missed the trip in Jan. Was able to take the "Behind the Scenes Tour" through the restoration Hanger. The restoration on the Memphis Belle is coming along GREAT! they just finshed painting Kennedy's "Air Force One" with Imron. Got inside the bird the next day! That evening was "Open Cockpit night" where they roll up the ramps to 16 planes, open the canopies, and let you "look-see & Picture take". Picture take is what I did! LL~
Also visited the Presidential Hanger and the R&D Hanger. Information overload fer sure! Going back for 20 B-25's coming in for the Doolittle Reunion next month.
Don't forget to thank a Vet! y1

"Tight Lines!"

Wes
Wes Eakin

Online Paul Smith

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Re: Interesting Iwo Jima photo link
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2010, 07:27:37 AM »
Great 133 pitcher portfolio.

Not the usual invsioin stuff, but P-51 and B-29 air operations later.  Just as bloody.
Paul Smith

Offline 11290

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Re: Interesting Iwo Jima photo link
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2010, 10:57:56 AM »
I liked the "then and now" photos at the end. 

Having spent a year in Vietnam in the 60's in a Ranger company,  I have a certain "appreciation" for the military in combat situations, but I continue to be so in awe of the people that served in combat units in WWII.  The "primitive" weaponry by Vietnam standards, the conditions and in general the amount of time that they were exposed to war serve to make me appreciate their sacrifice.
Evansville, IN & Orlando, FL

Offline Chad Hill

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Re: Interesting Iwo Jima photo link
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2010, 06:23:11 PM »
HBO shows episode 2 (of ten) of "The Pacific" Sunday night at 8:00 CDT. It follows the experiences of three 1st Marine Division vets in World War Two: Eugene Sledge, Robert Leckie and John Basilone. Sledge and Leckie survived the war and later wrote famous narratives of their experiences. Basilone received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Guadalcanal and was sent on war bond tours back in the US. He could have safely sat out the rest of the war on the home front, but insisted on returning to action "to be with my boys" and was allowed to join up with the 5th MarDiv as it trained for the invasion of Iwo Jima. "Manila John" was KIA on Iwo Jima and posthumously received the Navy Cross for his exploits in that battle. His widow, Lena Basilone, never remarried. Before she died in 1999 she said "True love only happens once", and "after you've found the best, it's hard to love anyone else". At the time of his death Basilone was as famous as Audie Murphy, but today few know who he even was. Perhaps this series, in the style of the previous "Band of Brothers" episodes, may remind us.

Offline Chad Hill

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Re: Interesting Iwo Jima photo link
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2010, 07:51:05 PM »
I took this photo of Mount Suribachi while on a refueling stop at Iwo Jima in 1986. Only recently did I realize it spans over the area just south of Motoyama airfield number 1, where Gunny Basilone was killed on February 19, 1945.


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