By Bob Gasche, Young Marines Staff and WWII Marine Corps Veteran Milton Lewis (FL)Young Marines Preface by Jamie Hill, Division 3 Adjutant and Milton Lewis Executive Officer: With Veterans Day Ceremonies, as we reflect on the free- doms we have today, let us look back to cap- ture the personal experiences and sacrifices of our veterans. This article is by Bob Gasche, a veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Bob was wounded and is a Purple Heart Recipient. He is also on our Mil- ton Lewis Young Marines Staff, and our Volun- teer of Year 2017. A respected veteran, he is a very humble man who is supportive of all our veterans and organizations in Gainesville, FL. This article was written for our local newspa- per, but is very important, so I wanted to share with our Young Marines in Esprit magazine. Read carefully, Young Marines… This is one story of many, but is why our Young Marines honor our veterans and the fallen on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. This article was writ- ten by Mr. Gasche on behalf of all our veter- ans, and recounts his personal experience on Iwo Jima. It was just one day, yet during those fateful hours hundreds of young Americans would die in the midst of bleeding, cordite and carnage. On this grim day, the bloodi- est battle in the history of the United States Marine Corps began. The command “Land the landing force!” was given during the early hours of Febru- ary 19,1945 as hundreds of ships surround- ed a tiny but strategic Pacific island known as Sulfur Island or Iwo Jima. The battle was underway! When dawn finally broke through the bleak curtain of darkness, it revealed the last morning light to be seen by hundreds of Marines poised to hit the targeted land- ing area. Engines roared as the amphibi- ous tractors (or amtracs) came to life, taking waves of Marines towards their des- tiny. Most occupants were slightly huddled, alone with their own thoughts, checking weapons and pondering their future. The formidable island was partially ob- scured by massive clouds of smoke and debris erupting from shells fired by the cannons of our armada. Planes strafed and bombed, creating a deadly medley of noise and rubble as the landing craft cautiously approached the beach. It was around 9:00 A.M. that the first wave of amtracs hit the shore. They crunched through the soft volcanic ash and miraculously drew only sporadic enemy fire resulting in few causalities. It was thought that maybe extensive pre-invasion bom- bardment had done its job. Surely all those bombs and rockets should have been suf- ficient to obliterate anyone on that eight square mile spit of volcanic sand and rock. Feelings of triumph ran high as Marines from the Fourth and Fifth Divisions cau- tiously slogged inland across the quiet yet ominous sandy black beach. Then it happened! Devastating fire erupted from Mount Su- ribachi and the high ground to the north, causing horrific causalities among troops deployed on the terraces and beach. They crawled from shell hole to shell hole des- perately seeking some kind of protection from this merciless hower of hot lead and steel. It was a nightmare of death as the concealed enemy continuously fired from their hidden positions. Despite mounting causalities,the advance continued. It was crescendo and chaos with some men hardly feeling the projectiles entering their bodies as they met instant death. Valiant corpsmen treated the wounded as best they could, many of them becoming causalities themselves. The beach soon became a quagmire of stuck vehicles, swamped boats and litters of wounded. Marston matting (perforat- ed sheets of steel) was put down to pro- vide traction for the multitude of vehicles coming ashore. Unfortunately, many were blown to bits. Engineers cautiously thrust bayonets into the loose black soil probing for hidden mines. Yellow tape marked the cleared paths so tanks and trucks could be driven through in somewhat precarious safety.. IWO JIMA: The author, Bob Gasche, in 1945. A more recent view of the beach at Iwo Jima, from Mt. Suribachi. 18 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE