LIFE ON THE ISLAND
LIFE ON THE ISLAND
THE SITE FOR THE MOST LEGENDARY BATTLE IN MARINE CORPS HISTORY WAS A DAMP, DESOLATE, VOLCANIC ISLAND THAT REEKED OF SULFUR. LIFE AS A FIGHTER OR NONCOMBATANT WAS DREARY, FRIGHTENING, HEROIC – AND SOMETIMES HUMOROUS.
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old. Damp. Desolate. Wretched. Smelly. Godforsaken. An entire Roget’s Thesaurus of unpleasant adjectives has been used to describe Iwo Jima. They’re appropriate depictions, even without the horrors of war. Add the fury of unrelenting attacks by a fanatical enemy, and it’s not surprising that those who were on Iwo in February 1945 vividly recall it as 8 square miles of living hell. From landing to departure, Marines of the 4th and 5th Divisions were on Iwo for slightly more than a month. Relatively few individuals, however, actually spent the entire 36 days on the island, because few of the initial landing troops survived unscathed. Whether they remained for hours or weeks, however, the experiences left indelible impressions on every man who set foot on Iwo Jima. What was it really like to be there? Here are glimpses into a life that no one likes to remember, but no one can forget. It was always too cold on Iwo, except when it was too hot. The temperature might drop into the 40s with rain during the day, and Marines would shiver in a foxhole or bomb crater night after night. Sometimes, though, the foxholes could be uncomfortably warm, with the Earth temperature hitting 100 degrees. This heat could be useful. Some foxholes hit sulfur steam vents and Marines discovered they could warm their C-rations in
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them. But it took the care of a gourmet chef to get the cooking time just right – even a few extra seconds of heat could turn a hot meal into an exploding mess. During the early days of the invasion, Marines were warned to preserve their water since there were no natural supplies on Iwo. The only wells were cisterns built by the Japanese to collect rainwater. Eventually desalination units were erected, but with thousands of men to serve, water was always in short supply. Shaving and bathing, even with cold helmet water, was a luxury. It was even worse for the Japanese, particularly after Marines captured the cisterns located about halfway up the island. The defenders had stored about a month’s worth of supplies in caves and pillboxes, and the few captured Japanese invariably talked of troops who were continually thirsty and malnourished. In desperation, they’d venture out of their caves at night to sneak through Marine lines and forage for essential supplies. From many accounts, it appears that the most-often used word on Iwo Jima was “Corpsman!” Certainly among the most courageous men on this, or any other battleground, were those who gave fallen Marines their first vital medical aid, often in the midst of hostile fire. In fact, medical personnel often earned the most decorations in their units. They also took the most casualties, because
Father Joseph Hammond gives Holy Communion to a 4th Division Marine on Iwo Jima, Feb. 27. 1945, even as the battle rages on.
MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL CENTER PHOTO
BY DAVID STEELE
