Red Blood, Black Sand: Fighting Alongside John Basilone from Boot Camp to Iwo Jima by Tatum Chuck

Author:Tatum, Chuck [Tatum, Chuck]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

Pillbox Bustin’

Aided as we were by tanks, afternoon gains were better than those previously achieved; however, heavy fighting continued against stubborn enemy resistance. We were still receiving sporadic mortar fire as we pushed forward, overrunning active enemy positions as we charged.

When we attacked this way, behind the assault units, we made small rushes, slow walks, and crawls or sprints from one position to another.

Early in the afternoon, Sergeant Windle spotted an active pillbox and ordered us to take it out. As acting squad leader, I carried out his instructions and set up my twin machine guns thirty-five feet apart. Manning the nearest one was Steve and Pops Whitcomb. The other was operated by Billy Joe Cawthorn and Gopher Gus Henderson. Windle directed us to fire into the gun port while men from B Company’s 2nd platoon advanced on the fortification to within grenade range. They hit the pillbox with grenades and TNT but came under strong fire from a concealed supporting position—another pillbox! Our attack stalled, but we were without casualties. Windle yelled, “Relocate Cawthorn’s gun and attack the other pillbox!” It seemed as if Windle was everywhere all at once. He had the agility of a mountain goat and the heart of a lion. The next best thing you could have, next to God on your side, was the redheaded sergeant from Snyder, Oklahoma. Having him as your leader was better than a double insurance policy and a thousand good-luck charms.

Concurrently, Windle directed the riflemen to place both targets under direct fire. The infantry again maneuvered forward, accompanied by a demolition man who walked our line of fire toward the “new” pillbox. He reached it and threw a satchel of C2 into an opening, then ran flat out, back to our lines, seeking cover. The minifortress crumpled in a shattering blast that blew rocks, sand, and dirt over us. It was just a smokin’ hole in the ground when I looked again.

Not waiting for the enemy to recover, we ran forward and uncovered additional positions like the smoldering pillbox. Captain Jimmy Mayenschein and Sergeant Windle set up this routine that we followed. As I passed the pillbox, I looked inside for dead Japs, but there were none. Windle said, “The Japs take their dead and wounded with them as they retreat.” With more than 135 known pillboxes encountered in our zone of advance, it’s no wonder we were taking all afternoon to move what seemed like only a few yards forward. Iwo’s in-depth defense system was ominous. We were in for a long, brutal struggle.

This day’s fighting had proved one indisputable truth to me. We could count our lucky stars that we had Windle, a crafty Marine sergeant, leading us. He personally picked good positions to fight from, since machine gun positions need good protection. The average life of a machine gunner in action was in the six- to twenty-minute range. Open fire with a machine gun and the entire Japanese defenses in that area would focus their attention on shortening your life span.

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