Posts from The Tennesseean in thread „Operation Pacific (1951)“

  • Operation Pacific (1951)

    I always get more choked up watching WWII Navy films than any other, as my dad was in the Navy from '44-'46.


    He drove a Higgins boat while stationed on the USS Jerauld (APA 174). He was in several campaigns, but Okinawa was the bloodiest. He spoke VERY little about the "ugly" side of his time in service, but I did glean from our many conversations, that he placed some of the first Marines on Okinawa (his ship transported troops, munitions, and vehicles) with his Higgens boat - under fire the entire time, and of course, took back dead and wounded as he left the island. He said he lost count how many trips he made, but in addition to dodging shells and machine gun fie, ALL the ships and their service boats were under constant threat of kamikaze attack.


    Since the end of the Pacific war was near, this be ame the largest concentration of these type attacks during the war. Okinawa was the LAST stronghold the enemy held before we could touch the mainland of Japan.


    BTW, Keith - I got your message. It's been a rough several days here, but I WILL be responding to you by the end of the week!!