I Love You for Your Service

Late in his life, my dad took up writing, and loved it. His most frequent topics were his anecdotes and experiences as a tail-gunner/radioman on Navy carrier-based TBM Avenger dive bombers in the Pacific 1944-45. He was 18 and 19 years old.

Here’s one of his short stories from 1990, “The First American At Iwo Jima–Invited”

“At Iwo Jima as the fighting raged on, the Marines captured Airfield #2 and were holding its perimeter.

“Off shore, operations command wanted secret info hand-delivered to the in-charge colonel. My pilot was selected, and I went along as his radio-gunner. It was dawn as we landed at Airfield #2. I hopped out first and the pilot climbed down and went to deliver the confidential message. I hung around waiting for his return.

“I remember one gyrene saying, ‘Hey kid, we still have mortars and shells coming in, be sure to hit a hole if you hear any swooshes or whistling sounds.’ The Marines looked gaunt and haggard. They saw hard duty.

“Living aboard ship, we had toilet facilities, but here I assumed you went where it was handy. Needing to relieve myself, I headed to a nearby raised square platform with a round hole in it. Just finishing, I was set upon by a Marine sentry, who said, ‘Hey, that’s the Colonel’s private latrine, and if he sees what you’re doing, he’ll chew you out royally!’  The colonel didn’t see, my pilot returned, and we took off to the ‘Wake Island’

“I believe I may have been the first American to land on Iwo Jima–INVITED.”

A common theme of his stories was self-deprecating humor, but I think he saw more and carried more with him, for the rest of his life, than we ever knew. My dad is why I love all of our military men and women, past and present.

I see him in every one of you.