The Few, The Proud
(March 17, 2011) |
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Wendell V. Perkins, a World War II veteran poses for a photo during a reunion of the 2nd Marine Division Association in Reno, Nevada
on Aug. 26, 2010. Perkins served as a machine gunner for Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment during the battles on Tarawa and Saipan. |
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (3/14/2011)
– Wendell V. Perkins' eyes melted as memories of
a past life dripped slowly into the present.
With words alone, like a priceless blue-era
Picasso, he painted the picture of a simpler
time. He splattered his metaphorical canvas with
accents of somber blues and accentuated
highlights of his tale with energetic vigor.
With every stroke, the masterpiece took the
shape of a story that began in the early 1940's
with a young man making a choice.
“We
were depression-era kids, and we came to
California because there was nothing in Texas,”
the Walnut Grove, Calif., native began. “We
picked cotton and tomatoes; we were transient
crop followers. Once we started to settle down,
people started to get regular jobs, and then the
war broke out.”
A day that will live in
infamy, December 7, 1941, the surprise attack on
Pearl Harbor by the Japanese brought the United
States into the bloodiest war in America's
history. |
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“Well, as a 17-year-old kid I wasn't thinking about wars, I
was thinking about girls,” Perkins laughed. With wide eyes,
a youthful smile snuck across his face.
“Of course,
I was ready to enlist and go fight to protect us on Dec. 8,
but my parents wouldn't allow it so I had to wait a year
until I was just about forced into the draft.”
A
notice arrived at the door and his draft number was almost
up. Perkins made a life-changing decision against the wishes
of his parents. He went down to the local recruiting office
and picked up the paper needed to enlist. Once home, he told
his father about his decision and that he asked for his
signature to seal the deal.
“He grabbed the papers
and stormed out of the room. A few hours later, I was lying
on my bed and he came back and threw them at me and replied,
‘Here's your death warrant!'”
As a Marine who was
wounded in the battle of Belleau Wood, Perkins' father acted
as a typical parent would, wanting his child to be safe and
in good health.
“My father was very proud of the
fact that he was a Marine, but hoped that I would get into
something that wouldn't get me hurt; deep down, he couldn't
have been more proud.”
At a time when the safety of
the United States was at stake, patriotism and enthusiasm
were high, Perkins was ready to fight; he was ready to go to
war.
“I chose the Marine Corps because I figured if
we were going to war, we might as well learn how to fight.”
Perkins went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
in December 1942. After eight weeks of rigorous training, he
went on to tank training school where he qualified as a
light tank driver and gunner. From there he joined a group
of 300 tankers and traveled overseas to New Zealand, where
only three tankers where selected for duty. The rest went
into the infantry and Perkins ended up as a machine gunner
with Weapons platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine
Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
“I felt fine about
going into the infantry; in hindsight I thought it was a
smart move, those light tanks were nothing but tin-can death
traps,” he said.
November quickly approached and 6th
Marines followed the 2nd and 8th Marine Regiments as they
made the initial landings on the Japanese-held island of
Tarawa. Carrying little more than an extra set of clothing,
shaving gear and a change of socks, Perkins waded toward the
shoreline, rubber boats in tow, carefully negotiating mines
placed beneath the water.
“It was frightening,” he
explained. “We got there about six in the evening and it was
getting dark. We bedded down and started to sleep for the
night. I sort of laid down beside this log, and when I woke
up in the morning it was this dead Japanese soldier. They
were everywhere”
Perkins spent days in the extreme
heat protecting an artillery unit throughout the battle,
surviving on C-rations and what other food he could find.
“The C-rations were cans you opened up, and there was a
big, old, hard chocolate bar in there that became my
favorite candy; it was horrible stuff, but I got to where I
thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Once the Marines had taken
the island, Perkins was ordered to Saipan where Marines
defended their position against the largest Japanese banzai
attack in the Pacific war.
“The battle was intense!”
he exclaimed. “It was scary as hell, but after a while you
get tired, the fear is gone and you just want to get it over
and done with and get off the island.”
Perkins
remained on Saipan for four weeks until the island was
secure, keeping track of the losses, the wounded and all of
the Marines in the company.
Throughout the years,
the experiences of his time on Tarawa and Saipan have shaped
his relationships with the Marine Corps and the 2nd Marine
Division. He reflected on the conflicts in the Middle East
and concluded that present day Marines have it much harder.
“I think the Marines today have it a hell of a lot
tougher fighting than we did because you don't know who your
enemy is. At least our enemy had on uniforms and they looked
different. In Iraq and Afghanistan, everyone carries a
weapon. I'm just so impressed with the Marines I've seen in
the past few years, and I'm very proud to have been a part
of the 2nd Marine Division.”
As Perkins returned to
the present, he stepped back from the symbolic easel
satisfied with the story resting before him. With silent
repose he laid down his brush in remembrance of his fallen
brothers. |
Article and photo by USMC Cpl. Jeffrey Drew
2nd Marine Division
Copyright 2011 | |
Provided
through DVIDS
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