Richard Johnson - Leathernecks At Tarawa

This week, Leatherneck Set to RawWaw. Get all your tanks for shore, Captain Langer. Yes, Major, the Cannonball, China Girl, Colorado, Charlie and Condor. All of sea squadron got ashore. Good. Go in and blast anything and everything in your way.

We've got to clear the beach for the men. Yes, sir. Captain? Well, Lieutenant says the Cannonball's radio is knocked out. What the hell with the radio? Tell the squadron to get underway. We're going in. Yes, sir.

Good luck, Langer. Thank you, sir. Yes. Have you established radio contact with the flagship? Yes, sir. Then inform the general that the first wave has landed on Tarawa and is advancing inland as per plan.

Resistance has been heavy and casualties severe. We need more. This is Richard W. Johnston of the United Press, speaking. I was with that first wave of marine veterans to make a landing on Tarawa. How many of us got ashore alive? I'll never know.

Many of our landing boats were blown out of the water by the murderous fire of the Japanese Japanese land batteries, still firmly entrenched despite the most concentrated bombardment by RC and the Air Forces ever seen in this area.

The bay was filled with shattered men and machines, but all along the shore I could see the battle-heartened Leathernecks, many of them veterans of Guadalcanal and other Solomon's sorties, inching along on their bellies, oblivious to the hot-led raining all about them.

Many lay sprawled face down on the sands, never to rise again. Enemy dead were everywhere. It was apparent from the start that it was going to be a battle of extermination. I crawled inland a hundred yards or so.