Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 1

Courage is endurance for one moment more…

Unknown Marine Second Lieutenant in Vietnam

Marines Developing JLTV Air-Defense System Armed with Laser

Weapon - the Marine Corps is putting together a new, mobile air-defense weapon system that's mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and could be armed with lasers to bring down enemy threats from above. Marine Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, deputy commandant for combat development and integration, talked about the Ground Based Air Defense Future Weapon System at a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on seapower.

Lawmakers are worried that the U.S. military's ground forces do not have modern air-defense systems capable of defeating aerial threats from adversaries."Ground forces have not experienced enemy air attacks since the Korean War; however, I am concerned that manned and unmanned aircraft, rockets, artillery and missiles pose an increasing danger to Marine units and installations worldwide. The Marine Corps has not updated its air-defense capability since the early 1990s. Air defense is a key priority for the Corps as well as the Army, and Wicker made a point of stressing that neither service should be tackling this problem alone. Walsh said that the Marine Corps has been focused on countering threats from unmanned aerial systems -- a preferred weapon of extremists in the Middle East -- but is now starting to shift focus to longer-range threats such as aircraft and cruise missiles. The Corps is developing the Ground Based Air Defense Future Weapon System, which is mounted on a JLTV and features the same radar system that the Army is using for short-range air defense, the budget includes $607 million to procure 1,642 JLTVs. Over the course of the program, the Corps intends to replace roughly one-third of its Humvee fleet with the JLTV. The JLTV-based system relies on a Stinger missile for a "kinetic kill" capability but will feature an electronic warfare capability as well, Walsh said."We also have a developmental program on a laser, to be able to put a laser on it," he said. "We are currently testing that with the opportunity to rapidly deploy that and demonstrate that capability." The longer-range capability has proven to be a challenge, Walsh said, adding that the Marines have budgeted research and development money into a joint effort with the Army."We used to have Hawk [missile] batteries that had this longer-range missile capability that we don't have," he said. Over the next year, the Marine Corps plans to look to industry to see what systems are available for a demonstration, Walsh said. "Getting something early and demonstrating that would get the air-defense community moving toward that higher-end capability quicker," he said.

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 2

IWO TO, Japan -- On a sunny, breezy day, veterans of World War II gathered at Iwo To March 24, 2018 to commemorate the sacrifice made by members of the Japanese and U.S. forces killed during the Battle of Iwo Jima. "Seventy-three years ago, this island was the site of a brutal struggle between young men who were warriors of the enemy nations, the United States of America and the Empire of Japan," said retired Marine Lt. Gen. Norman Smith, President of the Iwo Jima Association of America, during the 73rd Reunion of Honor ceremony.

The ceremony gave active duty and veteran military members and their families the opportunity to honor the fallen and celebrate the invaluable 73-year friendship forged from the pivotal battle between Japan and the U.S.

The ceremony included speakers from both nations, to include notable individuals such as Itsunori Onodera, the Japanese Minister of Defense; Yoshitaka Shindo, the grandson of Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi; and Brig. Gen. Thomas D. Weidley, commanding general, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. It also included a wreath-laying and water dedication ceremony in honor of the thousands of lives lost in the battle and the resulting alliance held by Japan and the U.S. today.

"I hope they continue coming back to the island [for this ceremony], because this island has such tremendous meaning in the lives of so many World War II guys," said Medal of Honor recipient retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel "Woody" Williams. "I hope they continue to do it, because it does create a bond and a fellowship with a country that one time we were at war with."

Onodera said the sacrifice of those who gave their lives during the battle and the war must never be forgotten because of the era of alliance and partnership the resulting peace ushered in for both nations.

"We must never forget the noble sacrifices of those who gave their lives in war as we enjoy peace and prosperity today," Onodera said. "We must continue our efforts to pass on such facts to future generations."

The Battle of Iwo Jima was a grueling 31-day battle, where more than 110,000 American landing forces stormed the black-sand beaches of the small island to face-off against approximately 21,000 entrenched Japanese soldiers. At the end of the bloody hostilities, approximately 26,000 men had been killed in the battle.

Weidley was keen to emphasize the importance of honoring the past in order to appreciate the present and look forward to the future.

"I think this ceremony is a way to honor those who have gone before us," Weidley said. "Over 26,000 members of both our nations perished on this battlefield. Its hallowed ground and we hold this ceremony every year here to remember the fallen, to remember the past, and to reflect on where we've been and how far we have come since then. We can look forward into the future of our alliance that is stronger than ever, after an era of reconciliation that has led both countries to prosper for many, many years."

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 3

The Battle of Okinawa

April 1. 1945 – Typhoon of steel.

The Battle of Okinawa ), codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Marine and Army forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. The initial invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II. The 82-day battle lasted from April 1 until June 22, 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were planning to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 miles away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations for the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands.

The United States created the Tenth Army, a cross-branch force consisting of the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th infantry divisions of the US

Army with the 1st, 2nd, and 6th divisions of the Marine Corps, to fight on the island. The Tenth was unique in that it had its own tactical air force (joint Army-Marine command), and was also supported by combined naval and amphibious forces.

The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or tetsu no bōfū ("violent wind of steel") in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese kamikaze attacks, and the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, with approximately 160,000+ casualties on both sides: at least 75,682 Allied and 84,166–117,000 Japanese, including drafted Okinawans wearing Japanese uniforms. 149,425 Okinawans were killed, committed suicide or went missing, a significant proportion of the estimated pre-war 300,000 local population.

In the naval operations surrounding the battle, both sides lost considerable numbers of ships and aircraft, including the Japanese battleship Yamato. After the battle, Okinawa provided a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields in proximity to Japan in preparation for the planned invasion.

TF 56 was the largest force within TF 50 and was built around the 10th Army. The army had two corps under its command: the III Amphibious Corps, consisting of 1st and 6th Marine Divisions, and the XXIV Corps, consisting of the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions. The 2nd Marine Division was an afloat reserve, and the 10th Army also controlled the 27th Infantry Division, earmarked as a garrison, and the 77th Infantry Divisions.

In all, the Army had over 102,000 soldiers (of these, 38,000+ were non-divisional artillery, combat support and HQ troops, with another 9,000 service troops), over 88,000 Marines and 18,000 Navy personnel (mostly Seabees and medical personnel). At the start of the Battle of Okinawa, the 10th Army had 182,821 personnel under its command. It was planned that General Buckner would report to Turner until the amphibious phase was completed, after which he would report directly to Spruance.

Although Allied land forces were entirely composed of American units, the British Pacific Fleet (BPF; known to the US Navy as Task Force 57) provided about ¼ of Allied naval air power (450 planes). It comprised a force which included 50 warships, of which 17 were aircraft carriers; while the British armored flight decks meant that fewer planes could be carried in a single aircraft carrier, they were more resistant to kamikaze strikes.

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 4

Although all the aircraft carriers were provided by Britain, the carrier group was a combined British Commonwealth fleet with British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian ships and personnel. Their mission was to neutralize Japanese airfields in the Sakishima Islands and provide air cover against Japanese kamikaze attacks. Most of the air-to-air fighters and the small dive bombers and strike aircraft were US Navy carrier-based airplanes.

Japanese - commanders photographed in early

February19454 The Japanese land campaign (mainly defensive) was conducted by the 67,000-strong (77,000 according to some sources) regular 32nd Army and some 9,000 Imperial Japanese Navy troops at Oroku naval base (only a few hundred of whom had been trained and equipped for ground combat), supported by 39,000 drafted local Ryukyuan people (including 24,000 hastily drafted rear militia called Boeitai and 15,000 non-uniformed laborers). The Japanese had used kamikaze tactics since the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but for the first time, they became a major part of the defense. Between the American landing on April 1 and May 25, seven major kamikaze attacks were attempted, involving more

than 1,500 planes.

The 32nd Army initially consisted of the 9th, 24th, and 62nd Divisions, and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade. The 9th Division was moved to Taiwan before the invasion, resulting in shuffling of Japanese defensive plans. Primary resistance was to be led in the south by Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, his chief of staff, Lieutenant General Isamu Chō and his chief of operations, Colonel Hiromichi Yahara. Yahara advocated a defensive strategy, whilst Chō advocated an offensive one.

In the north, Colonel Takehido Udo was in command. The troops were led by Rear Admiral Minoru Ōta. They expected the Americans to land 6–10 divisions against the Japanese garrison of two and a half divisions. The staff calculated that superior quality and numbers of weapons gave each US division five or six times the firepower of a Japanese division. To this, would be added the Americans' abundant naval and air firepower.

Military use of children -In Okinawa Island, middle school boys were organized into front-line-service Tekketsu Kinnōtai, while Himeyuri students were organized into a nursing unit. The Japanese Imperial Army mobilized 1,780 middle school boys aged 14–17 years into front-line-service. They were named "Tekketsu Kinnōtai" (Iron and Blood Imperial Corps). This mobilization was conducted by the ordinance of the Ministry of Army, not by law. The ordinances mobilized the student as a volunteer soldier for form's sake.

In reality, the military authorities ordered schools to force almost all students to "volunteer" as soldiers. Sometimes they counterfeited the necessary documents. About half of Tekketsu Kinnōtai were killed, including in suicide bomb attacks against tanks, and in guerrilla operations. After losing the Battle of Okinawa, the Japanese government enacted new laws in preparation for the decisive battles in the main islands. These laws made it possible for boys aged 15 or older and girls aged 17 or older to be drafted into front-line-service

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 5

The United States Navy's Task Force 58, deployed to the east of Okinawa with a picket group of from 6 to 8 destroyers, kept 13 carriers (7 CVs and 6 CVLs) on duty from March 23 to April 27 and a smaller number thereafter. Until April 27, a minimum of 14 and up to 18 escort carriers (CVEs) were in the area at all times. Until April 20, British Task Force 57, with 4 large and 6 escort carriers, remained off the Sakishima Islands to protect the southern flank.

The protracted length of the campaign under stressful conditions forced Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to take the unprecedented step of relieving the principal naval commanders to rest and recuperate. Following the practice of changing the fleet designation with the change of commanders, US naval forces began the campaign as the

US 5th Fleet under Admiral Raymond Spruance, but ended it as the 3rd Fleet under Admiral William Halsey.

Japanese air opposition had been relatively light during the first few days after the landings. However, on April 6, the expected air reaction began with an attack by 400 planes from Kyushu. Periodic heavy air attacks continued through April. During the period March 26 – April 30, twenty American ships were sunk and 157 damaged by enemy action. For their part, by April 30, the Japanese had lost more than 1,100 planes to Allied naval forces alone.

Between April 6 and June 22, the Japanese flew 1,465 kamikaze aircraft in large-scale attacks from Kyushu, 185 individual kamikaze sorties from Kyushu, and 250 individual kamikaze sorties from Formosa. While US intelligence estimated there were 89 planes on Formosa, the Japanese actually had about 700, dismantled or well camouflaged and dispersed into scattered villages and towns; the US Fifth Air Force disputed Navy claims of kamikaze coming from Formosa.

The ships lost were smaller vessels, particularly the destroyers of the radar pickets, as well as destroyer escorts and landing ships. While no major Allied warships were lost, several fleet carriers were severely damaged. Land-based Shin'yō-class suicide motorboats were also used in the Japanese suicide attacks, although Ushijima had disbanded the majority of the suicide boat battalions prior to the battle due to expected low effectiveness against a superior enemy. The boat crews were re-formed into three additional infantry battalions.

Operation Ten-Go (Ten-gō sakusen) was the attempted attack by a strike force of 10 Japanese surface vessels, led by the super battleship Yamato and commanded by Admiral Seiichi Ito. This small task force had been ordered to fight through enemy naval forces, then beach Yamato and fight from shore, using her guns as coastal artillery and her crew as naval infantry. The Ten-Go force was spotted by submarines shortly after it left the Japanese home waters, and was intercepted by US carrier aircraft.

Under attack from more than 300 aircraft over a two-hour span, the world's largest battleship sank on April 7, 1945, after a one-sided battle, long before she could reach Okinawa. (US torpedo bombers were instructed to aim for only one side to prevent effective counter flooding by the battleship's crew, and to aim for the bow or the stern, where armor was believed to be the thinnest.) Of Yamato's screening force, the light cruiser Yahagi and 4 of the 8 destroyers were also sunk. The Imperial Japanese Navy lost some 3,700 sailors, including Admiral Ito, at the cost of 10 US aircraft and 12 airmen.

The British Pacific Fleet, taking part as Task Force 57, was assigned the task of neutralizing the Japanese airfields in the Sakishima Islands, which it did successfully from March 26 to April 10. On April 10, its attention was shifted to airfields on northern Formosa. The force withdrew to San Pedro Bay on April 23.On May 1, the British Pacific Fleet returned to action, subduing the airfields as before, this time with naval bombardment as well as aircraft. Several kamikaze attacks caused significant damage, but since the British had armored flight decks on their aircraft carriers, they experienced only a brief interruption to their force's operations.

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 6

Land Battle The land battle took place over about 81 days. The first Americans ashore were soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division, who landed in the Kerama Islands, 15 mi (24 km) west of Okinawa on March 26. Subsidiary landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. In these preliminary operations, the 77th Infantry Division suffered 27 dead and 81 wounded, while Japanese dead and captured numbered over 650. The operation provided a protected anchorage for the fleet and eliminated the threat from suicide boats. On March 31, Marines of the Fleet Marine Force Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed without opposition on Keise Shima, four islets just 8 miles west of the Okinawan capital of Naha. A group of 155mm "Long Tom" artillery pieces went ashore on the islets to cover operations on Okinawa.

Northern Okinawa the main landing was made by the XXIV Corps and the III Amphibious Corps on the Hagushi beaches on the western coast of Okinawa on L-Day, April 1, which was both Easter Sunday and April Fools' Day in 1945. The 2nd Marine Division conducted a demonstration off the Minatoga beaches on the southeastern coast to deceive the Japanese about American intentions and delay movement of reserves from there.

The 10th Army swept across the south-central part of the island with relative ease by World War II standards, capturing the Kadena and the Yomitan airbases within hours of the landing. In light of the weak opposition, General Buckner decided to proceed immediately with Phase II of his plan—the seizure of northern Okinawa. The 6th Marine Division headed up the Ishikawa Isthmus and by April 7, had sealed off the Motobu Peninsula.

Six days later on April 13, the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Marine Regiment, reached Hedo Point (Hedo-misaki) at the northernmost tip of the island. By this point, the bulk of the Japanese forces in the north (codenamed Udo Force) were cornered on the Motobu Peninsula. Here, the terrain was mountainous and wooded, with the Japanese defenses concentrated on Yae-Dake, a twisted mass of rocky ridges and ravines on the center of the peninsula. There was heavy fighting before the Marines finally cleared Yae-Dake on April 18.

Meanwhile, the 77th Infantry Division assaulted Ie Island (Ie Shima)—a small island off the western end of the peninsula—on April 16. In addition to conventional hazards, the 77th Infantry Division encountered kamikaze attacks, and even local women armed with spears. There was heavy fighting before the area was declared secured on April 21, and became another air base for operations against Japan.

Southern Okinawa While the 6th Marine Division cleared northern Okinawa, the US Army 96th and 7th Infantry Divisions wheeled south across the narrow waist of Okinawa. The 96th Infantry Division began to encounter fierce resistance in west-central Okinawa from Japanese troops holding fortified positions east of Highway No. 1 and about 5 miles northwest of Shuri, from what came to be known as Cactus Ridge. The 7th Infantry Division encountered similarly fierce Japanese opposition from a rocky pinnacle located about 1,000yds southwest of Arakachi (later dubbed "The Pinnacle"). By the night of April 8, American troops had cleared these and several other strongly fortified positions. They suffered over 1,500 battle casualties in the process, while killing or capturing about 4,500 Japanese. Yet the battle had only begun, for it was now realized that "these were merely

outposts," guarding the Shuri Line.

The next American objective was Kakazu Ridge, two hills with a connecting saddle that formed part of Shuri's outer defenses. The Japanese had prepared their positions well and fought tenaciously. The Japanese soldiers hid in fortified caves. American forces often lost personnel before clearing the Japanese out from each cave or other hiding place. The Japanese sent Okinawans at gunpoint out to obtain water and supplies for them. The American advance was inexorable, but resulted in a high number of casualties on both sides.

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 7

As the American assault against Kakazu Ridge stalled, Lieutenant General Ushijima — influenced by General Cho — decided to take the offensive. On the evening of April 12, the 32nd Army attacked American positions across the entire front. The Japanese attack was heavy, sustained, and well organized. After fierce close combat, the attackers retreated, only to repeat their offensive the following night. A final assault on April 14 was again repulsed. The effort led the 32nd Army's staff to conclude that the Americans were vulnerable to night infiltration tactics, but that their superior firepower made any offensive Japanese troop concentrations extremely dangerous and they reverted to their defensive strategy.

The 27th Infantry Division—which had landed on April 9—took over on the right, along the west coast of

Okinawa. General Hodge now had three divisions in the line, with the 96th in the middle, and the 7th to the

east, with each division holding a front of only about 1.5 miles. Hodge launched a new offensive of April 19 with a barrage of 324 guns, the largest ever in the Pacific Ocean Theater. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers joined the bombardment, which was followed by 650 Navy and Marine planes attacking the enemy positions with napalm, rockets, bombs, and machine guns. The Japanese defenses were sited on the reverse slopes, where the defenders waited out the artillery barrage and aerial attack in relative safety, emerging from the caves to rain mortar rounds and grenades upon the Americans advancing up the forward slope.

A tank assault to achieve breakthrough by outflanking Kakazu Ridge failed to link up with its infantry support attempting to cross the ridge, and therefore failed with the loss of 22 tanks. Although flame tanks cleared many cave defenses, there was no breakthrough, and the XXIV Corps suffered 720 casualties. The losses might have been greater except for the fact that the Japanese had practically all of their infantry reserves tied up farther south, held there by another feint off the Minatoga beaches by the 2nd Marine Division that coincided with the attack.

At the end of April, after Army forces had pushed through the Machinato defensive line, the 1st Marine Division relieved the 27th Infantry Division, and the 77th Infantry Division relieved the 96th. When the 6th Marine Division arrived, the III Amphibious Corps took over the right flank and the 10th Army assumed control of the battle.

On May 4, the 32nd Army launched another counteroffensive. This time, Ushijima attempted to make amphibious assaults on the coasts behind American lines. To support his offensive, the Japanese artillery moved into the open. By doing so, they were able to fire 13,000 rounds in support, but effective American counter-battery fire destroyed dozens of Japanese artillery pieces. The attack failed.

Buckner launched another American attack on May 11. Ten days of fierce fighting followed. On May 13, troops of the 96th Infantry Division and 763rd Tank Battalion captured Conical Hill. Rising 476ft above the Yonabaru coastal plain, this feature was the eastern anchor of the main Japanese defenses and was defended by about 1,000 Japanese. Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions fought for "Sugar Loaf Hill". The capture of these two key positions exposed the Japanese around Shuri on both sides. Buckner hoped to envelop Shuri and trap the main Japanese defending force. By the end of May, monsoon rains which had turned contested hills and roads into a morass exacerbated both the tactical and medical situations. The ground advance began to resemble a World War I battlefield, as troops became mired in mud, and flooded roads greatly inhibited evacuation of wounded to the rear. Troops lived on a field sodden by rain, part garbage dump and part graveyard. Unburied Japanese and American bodies decayed, sank in the mud, and became part of a noxious stew. Anyone sliding down the greasy slopes could easily find their pockets full of maggots at the end of the journey.

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 8

On May 29, Major General Pedro del Valle, commander of the 1st Marine Division, ordered Captain Julian D. Dusenbury pictured left of Company A,1st Battalion, 5th Marines, to capture Shuri Castle. Seizure of the castle represented both strategic and psychological blows for the Japanese and was a milestone in the campaign. Del Valle was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership in the fight and the subsequent occupation and reorganization of Okinawa. Captain Dusenbury would later receive the Navy Cross for his actions.

Shuri Castle had been shelled by the battleship USS Mississippi for three days before this advance. Due to this, the 32nd Army withdrew to the south and thus the Marines had an easy task of securing Shuri Castle. The castle, however, was outside the 1st Marine Division's assigned zone and only frantic efforts by the commander and staff of the 77th Infantry Division prevented an American air strike and artillery bombardment which would have resulted in many casualties due to friendly fire.

The Japanese retreat, although harassed by artillery fire, was conducted with great skill at night and aided by the monsoon storms. The 32nd Army was able to move nearly 30,000 personnel into its last defense line on the Kiyan Peninsula, which ultimately led to the greatest slaughter on Okinawa in the latter stages of the battle, including the deaths of thousands of civilians. In addition, there were 9,000 troops supported by 1,100 militia, with approximately 4,000 holed up at the underground headquarters on the hillside overlooking the Okinawa Naval Base in the Oroku Peninsula, east of the airfield.

On June 4, elements of the 6th Marine Division launched an amphibious assault on the peninsula. The 4,000 Japanese sailors, including Admiral Minoru Ota, all committed suicide within the hand-built tunnels of the underground naval headquarters on June 13. By June 17, the remnants of Ushijima's shattered 32nd Army were pushed into a small pocket in the far south of the island to the southeast of Itoman.

On June 18, General Buckner was killed by enemy artillery fire while monitoring the forward progress of his troops. Buckner was replaced by Roy Geiger. Upon assuming command, Geiger became the only US Marine to command a numbered army of the US Army in combat; he

was relieved five days later by Joseph Stilwell.

The last remnants of Japanese resistance ended on June 21, although some Japanese continued hiding, including the future governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Masahide Ota. Ushijima and Cho committed suicide by seppuku in their command headquarters on Hill 89 in the closing hours of the battle. Colonel Yahara had asked Ushijima for permission to commit suicide, but the general refused his request, saying: "If you die there will be no one left who knows the truth about the battle of Okinawa. Bear the temporary shame but endure it. This is an order from your army Commander."Yahara was the most senior officer to have survived the battle on the island, and he later authored a book titled The Battle for Okinawa. On August 15, 1945, Admiral Matome Ugaki was killed while part of a kamikaze raid on Iheyajima Island. The official surrender ceremony was held on September 7, near Kadena airfield.

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 9

Humor in Utilities

The Spelling Error

Let me tell you friends that one simple spelling mistake--even a typo--can make your life hell.

I recently texted a short, romantic note to my wife while I was away on a golf trip, and I missed one small "e".

No problem you might say. Not so. This tiny error has caused me to seek police protection to enter my own house.

I wrote, "Hi darling, I’m enjoying and experiencing the best time of my whole life, and I wish you were her!”

Marine Corps Veterans Mercury Detachment

News Letter April 2018

To observe a Marine is inspirational. To be a Marine is exceptional." - GySgt Charles F. Wolf Jr

MCV Newsletter Page 10

March Meeting Attendance - ?

Sick Bay Remember our brother’s in your thoughts and prayers. (Please let us know if you have any updates)

* Joe Clines is recuperating at home.

* Rich Young is recuperating at his son’s home in New Jersey.

* Tom Rathburn is recuperating at home.

Happy Birthday Brothers

Lou Anthony Joe Calardo Kevin Cleary 4/1/1940 (78) 4/18/1943 (75) 4/22/1945 (73)

Kevin Farrell Bill Quinn Bill Rundberg

4/7/1945 (73) 4/24/1949 (69) 4/17/1952 (66)

Events Calendar

Date Event Time Location

4/3/18 Membership Meeting 20:00hrs American Legion Post # 432

4/11/18 NOA Service 09:45hrs Calverton Cemetery

4/27/18 Executive Board Meeting 19:00hrs American Legion Post # 432

6/7/18 Fishing Trip 16:45hrs Port Jefferson Dock

7/4/2018 4th Of July Parade 08:15hrs Port Jefferson Fire House