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FORT SILL, Okla. - Veterans of the battle of Iwo Jima
participated in a reunion hosted by the Marine Artillery Detachment
at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Feb. 12, 2015.
The Iwo Jima Battle
Survivors and Family Association held their final reunion over three
days, and were invited to attend special festivities by the Marines
of the detachment.
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Col. Wayne Harrison, commanding officer of the Marine Artillery Detachment at Fort Sill, Okla., shakes the hands of Iwo Jima veterans at the conclusion of a ceremony held to honor them and their service
on Feb. 12, 2015. The Marine Artillery Detachment performed a ceremony, provided a barbecue lunch and socialized with the Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Melissa Karnath)
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Seventy years ago, three Marine divisions landed on the
volcanic island Iwo To, which was defended by about 23,000
Japanese, who fortified themselves in extensive tunnel
systems, caves and hideaways throughout the island.
After a month of fighting, the Marines [MR2] were
victorious.
However, the cost of victory was high
with the United States suffering 6,821 dead and 19,217
wounded. The battle etched in the minds of Americans by the
iconic photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal of the American
flag being raised on the Mount Suribachi.
“This is
the last chance some of these veterans may have to spend
time with young Marines,” Col. Wayne Harrison, commanding
officer of the Marine Artillery Detachment, said. “We wanted
to provide them with a social gathering and a fun time.”
The Iwo Jima Marines and Corpsmen, accompanied by their
families, arrived from Wichita Falls, Texas, by bus and were
escorted to front row seats to watch a ceremony held in
their honor commemorating the 70th anniversary of the battle
of Iwo Jima. The ceremony began with an invocation, the
presentation of the colors and the playing of the national
anthem.
The ceremony continued with a cake cutting
with pieces of cake being individually delivered to each Iwo
Jima veteran.
“I felt really honored to be apart of
this ceremony with the veterans,” said Pvt. Miguel Ramirez,
a Marine who helped deliver pieces of cake to the veterans.
Harrison delivered his remarks to the young Marines
training to become Marine Artillerymen the veterans of Iwo
Jima. [MR3]
The ceremony concluded with the veterans
standing at attention with Harrison during the playing of
"Anchors Aweigh" and the "Marines' Hymn."
“The
ceremony was beautiful,” said James Krodel, a Marine veteran
of Guam and Iwo Jima, of Quitman, Texas. “I really
appreciated it.”
Following the ceremony the veterans
spent time with the Marines of the detachment and enjoyed a
barbecue lunch together.
“The veterans joke and act
young when they are around us,” said Ramirez, a 19-year-old
Marine awaiting training to become a field artillery
cannoneer. “I can't believe the things they had to go
through at our age.”
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Private Miguel Ramirez, a Marine awaiting training to become a field artillery cannonier, presents a piece of cake to a veteran of Iwo Jima during a ceremony performed by the Marines of the Marine Artillery Detachment at Fort Sill, Okla., Feb. 12, 2015. The Marine Artillery Detachment performed a ceremony to honor the veterans and provided a barbecue meal afterward. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Melissa Karnath)
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The Iwo Jima veterans then had the opportunity to visit the grave
of Geronimo, who was a Bedonkohe Apache leader of the Chiricahua
Apache and the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum. After their tours,
the Iwo Jima veterans departed for their hotel in Wichita Falls,
Texas.
“The battle of Iwo Jima gave us our legacy,” said
Harrison. “Legacy that makes our Marines today proud of what you
gentlemen did on that island 70 years ago.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Melissa Karnath
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
The U.S. Marines
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