Rare Audio Recordings of Combat During the Battle of Kwajalein (1944)
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- Опубліковано 22 жов 2024
- Audio recording of fighting between US Marines and Japanese troops during the Battle of Kwajalein on the island of Roi-Namur in February 1944. Recorded by Fred Welker and Keene Hepburn.
Source: Library of Congress, blogs.loc.gov/...
Tags: ww2, wwii, world war 2, world war ii, world war two, pacific theater, theatre, marshall islands, marine corps, american, history, 1940's, earwitness, sound, second world war, shooting, firing,
When I was a 10 year old boy living in Wyoming. I used to talk with a man while fishing on the North Platte river near Douglas. He was what seemed to me old, this was in the late 70's early 80's. When I say, I used to talk, I really mean that, he rarely spoke. He acted as though I didn't exist but the hole he was always at was where I wanted to fish. Occasionally he would just get up and quietly move down river, just to get away from me. Eventually, I decided to stop going there and found a hole up river , more snags and more carp instead of trout but I didn't want to bother him anymore. One Saturday, I camped the night there in a sleeping bag. I had spread water with my moms watering can which made night crawlers come out of the ground and had a jar full. Sunday at daybreak, there's the man, fishing my spot and using my night-crawlers. It was on that day, I learned what war was. He decided , for some reason to tell me his story. War wasn't what we were taught in school. It wasn't what any of us were being taught. Anyway, to this Island here, I have looked into many of the places in the pacific during WW2 compared them to the pronunciation I can remember he was using and I believe this to be the island where his story happened. His name was Chuck/charles/charlie. He had three scars on his right forearm, one on his neck, a missing ear lobe. He took two friendly fire bullets. He never once mentioned being a Marine. His best friend was named Cal....died and he was forced to use his body for cover. Charlie only spoke to me one more time after that Sunday. About 2 months later he passed away, although I didn't know about it until a year later, his wife stopped up on the bridge and waved, kept waving and met me down at the fishing hole, told me she knew all about me. So thanks for posting this audio. Over the years I've heard alot, this seems to really sound like his story.
M Dutchy that's a pretty interesting story
M Dutchy, a heart warming story about an American hero. A Marine no less. Thanks for sharing.
May this hero rest in Peace
Yes i was actually wondering about friendly fire incidents. This is the first Ive read about so far. I reckon the artillery possibly took some out. Always hard when someone accidentally takes out their own.
@@82luft49 the Army fought in the Pacific as well
My great grandfather fought there. Sadly he past away August 28, 2016. He was a survivor of Pearl Harbor. He loved to tell stories about the war. RIP Pop.
brave man
How did your grandfather survived?
Yes, the old vets are all going off now. Thanks for telling us.
I have 2 uncles that fought in ww2 , and they never talked about it.. I served my self and don't talk. Anyone that knows anything about it won't ever bring it up again. So you says he liked to talk about it?
A proud member of the Greatest Generation .... RIP Sir.
For this being 70+ years old the audio isn't half bad at all, you can even hear the rounds wizzing by really close.
This is top-notch for being recorded at the actual battlefield by only two "amateur" guys.
Isnt that crazy? Some explosions sounded real close to him as well
And they’re so calm in the middle of it!
I've found 4 discs of christmas party recordings from Kentucky 47' acetate 78 rpm's. Quality is exactly the same.
@@captainoblivious_yt Even more insane is that it was on magnetic wire, not tape.
I met a Marine that fought on Roi. It was the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor attack. I was on a flight back stateside and we were sitting in the same row. He learned that I had just returned from the Marshall Islands when he told me of his experience on Roi. “There was a big bunker made of concrete and the Sargent handed me a satchel charge and told me to run up and toss it in the gun port. My friend took it from me and said that he could run faster than me so he’d do it. He ran up, fuse burning and tossed it in. The explosion threw chunks of concrete out onto the decks of the ships way out off the island. My friend was vaporized.” This Marine was dying from heart failure and said he had to make the trip for the anniversary. When I was a kid my Boy Scout leader had learned that I lived on Kwajalein. He told me he was in the second wave that fought on Roi-Namur. When I asked him about it he said “You don’t want to know.” These were common men who did a very difficult job for us and should never be forgotten.
My Dad was a Marine who fought there , he lost his left hand they awarded him the Navy Cross , there were many brave men who fought for our freedoms , sadly today there are too many willing to give them up.
Wow , incredible story. Proud of every Vet
ua-cam.com/video/pbRtHt3VfVs/v-deo.html. Here is video of that event!
@@only5186 Wow! Thanks!
@@Gundog55 I watched that video after this one and was like wow would you look at that! Didn't this guys grandpa tell him about this exact thing? Thought you'd enjoy that. It is a great vid. 200 torpedos going off at once. Im surprised it didnt kill many more Marines
He said so calmly: "Our boys are running across. Haven't seen any of them come back yet. Perhaps a few casualties." It's insane how accustomed they are to an environment where they could die any second.
They weren't very accustomed at all. This was one of their first battles.
Concrete bunkers
First opposed landing of the Pacific Theater if I’m recalling correctly. Keep in mind I’m pretty sure the voice you hear is probably observing from some distance. Doesn’t discount the bravery of either him or those soldiers, but I don’t know if they were necessarily accustomed to any of this at this point.
(*Correction, mixed this up with Tarawa, but this isn’t very long after Tarawa and part of the same campaign)
@@JakvsMetalheads999 No, the first opposed landing of the Pacific for Americans was Tulagi. At least I think so.
@@The_OneManCrowd It could have been these Americans first time. I know Lee Marvin's first battle was Kwajalein. I'm not sure the particulars but it was a joint Army/Marine operation.
Its so surreal to hear him talk to one of the Marines coming back from his fighting position. The exchange of words are so pure and in the moment. Heavy breathing in his words, recollecting the battle as its happening. Don't get to hear many recordings like this, and I hope it never gets lost in time.
time?
@@mzl1477 12:23
This is as raw a recording as you can get.
UA-cam is amazing. It's fascinating listening to this, like travelling back in time.
Closes thing to time traveling
I need a lucky strike and a K ration.
Japanese soldiers: "The marines are coming! ... The marines are coming!"
Japanese Commander "Send in the chicken".
masters of psychological warfare.
Lee Wardle every csgo nightmare
Heishi : `Shirei-kan! ! Shirei-kan! ! ! Amerikakaiheitai wa watashitachi no tachiba o mitashite iru!!!'
Shirei-kan : *takes off sunglasses...*
Shirei-kan : Sore o okuri nasai.
Heishi : N...NANI???
Shirei-kan : *whips off sunglasses.*
Shirei-kan : CHIKIN.
"Well I'll be doggone. This island, you wouldn't think a thing could be living on it but here's a chicken, just came over the hill" 6:29
Haha War Chicken!!!!
The absolute madlad
you can hear them cracking up in the back
so cute ❤︎
That ain't no chicken it's a raptor.
Just like donkeys in the middle of a firefight in afganistán lol.
I lived on Roi-Namur for a year 99-2000, and it was amazing... the detritus from the war is still lying all over the place out there. Fired rounds, and live ones - were not uncommon to find in the beach sand. They have a full time EOD squad on Kwajalein, primarily just to handle old WWII ordinance (which is still dangerous).
The Japanese concrete bunkers, and buildings, and pier, are still there - and you can touch the pockmarks from the bullet strikes.
It is easily the most haunting place I have ever been...
The tunnels were just bulldozed or blown shut, and the Japanese just left down there to die... still down there today... completely undisturbed.
Good friend of mine runs the big radar , he’s been there for 9 years (I believe) and met a great girl (runs transportation on roi) and got married. Covid has kept them there constantly for the last two years, one week isolation in Hawaii and 3 (I believe) on Roi just isn’t worth it to them.
I lived on Kwaj in the 1950’s. They were putting in sewer lines and dug up a box of mortars in our front yard. They had stopped digging for the day and someone’s dog showed up with a leg bone. Turned out to be from a dead Japanese that was buried in his bunker. The digging had stopped just short of it and the dog dug his way in. There was also a torpedo that had washed up on the rocks after a storm that the EOD crew blew up. Trees from the surrounding islands were brought in and planted around the new pool because there weren’t any left after the battle.
@@Gundog55 So you were on site during the Bikini testing era - what was it like?
Kwajalein is truly a symbol of the american and japanese conflict
@@dusk6159 In 1991 I went to Majuro then Mili. Mili has a lot of war relics. Bombed damaged Betty Bombers, Zeros parked in the jungle, torpedos stacked upon each other. Unfired artillery shells and even anti-tank mines exposed in the yard of a home that were never cleared.
I can say with 100% Surety that the Soldier making the recording had CASE-HARDENED Titanium Testicles.
Respect to your earthly heroes.
If ou gear the interference is because of the radiation and magnetism of those balls.
When I was about 13 I was with my father doing some errands. We had stopped in a business where we overheard some men his age talking about WWII, Japan and the dropping of the atom bombs. The men were describing the Japanese soldiers with some “hard language”.
My father was a marine on Iwo Jima and I saw him listen but not speak to the men. We got what we needed and went back to the truck. On our way to the next stop my father calmly said to me that he never wanted me to speak of the Japanese the way we had heard. I understand that all soldiers have their own experiences that shape their views but his message then was
“ They were told what to do the same way we were.”
Your Dad was one of the Greatest Generation of Marines. They were tough. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sergeant who served in the early 70s.
@@usmc-veteran73-77 He too was a sergeant and was discharged in 1946. Thank you for your service.
@@ME-kc8hn thank you, it was an honor to serve our great Nation and beloved Marine Corps. Im sure you heard your Dad say, "Semper Fi" stay safe and greetings from Charleston, WEST Virginia
An amazing story one I will remember. Thank you and God bless you and your family.
My father was the same as yours and said pretty much the same thing. Served with the 2d Marine Division on Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian. He had a great deal of respect and compassion for the Japanese, never spoke of them in a negative way, ever. Semper Fi
I am a veteran and did not serve in combat and those that have I just want to say thank you you guys will always be my heroes.
Heros for what
@@emanrovemanhcan2564 Shut your damn mouth and quit trying to pick a fight.
@@cheesegyoza 🤷🏻♂️ said nothing
@@emanrovemanhcan2564 Get back to your COD in moms basement
@@usnchief1339 thank you Chief send him my way an its blanket party
My uncle, Pfc Merle Davis, USMC fought on this atoll and was killed on Eniwetok.
I worked there from '90-'95. Nearly every time we walked on the beach we would find bullets washed up on the shore.
There was still enough ordinance being found by people diving in the area, that there was still a monthly "blow" in the harbor, where they would explode it safely...
Respect to your uncle, I read the account of the battle, it was a hell hole fighting down that island.
RIP to your brave uncle. His bravery helped free my people from Japanese oppression.
Which outfit?
@@roderickstockdale1678 22 nd Marines
Al Davis yep, that was their first battle.
This should be in the National Archives, if it already isn't. Wow.
Oh I bet all of the ww2 combat recordings are there
@@antcampagna I’ve heard people say there is tons of recordings of everything but it’s too graphic for the public . For example D-Day which in pictures there’s tons of cameras there but the government has them
@@ChiTown27656 unfortunately, all but 11 photos of the first wave to hit the beaches were ruined when they were being developed because the developer was so eager to see the photos he rushed the process and made some mistakes. As far as I know there aren't any recordings or videos of the first wave. Just the 11 photos taken by Robert Cappa.
@@ChiTown27656 That excuse is such bull. Yes they are likely very graphic, and that is EXACTLY what the American public should see and remember when it comes to war. War should be the absolute last option. If our military personnel are so important to us then why the hell are we so quick to throw their lives away?
@@ChiTown27656 simple not true. There is almost no footage of the D-Day landings. Very few photographers were present. One of them, Robert Capa, only produced 11 photos. There are two stories, one is that he suffered a panic attack and took a landing craft back to the fleet after a short time. The other is that his film was destroyed at the labs. Another film crew had all their footage dropped into the sea accidentally.
My Grandpa, Stephen J. Schram fought here, and Peleliu. 111th Infantry, 28th Infantry Division. He was a radioman, and later during the 1960's was one of the most senior ATC Warrant officers in the Air Force, and coincidentally was the officer who took over the control tower of Miami-Dade Airport during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was extremely humble and was extremely well respected, not a lot of ATC officers walked around with Combat Infantry Badges, which the USAF offered many times to exchange for a Bronze Star, to which my grandpa always refused. He passed in 1999.
I worked there from '90-'95. Nearly every time we walked on the beach we would find bullets washed up on the shore.
There was still enough ordinance being found by people diving in the area, that there was still a monthly "blow" in the harbor, where they would explode it safely...
Respect to your grandfather, I read the account of the battle, it was a hell hole fighting down that island.
28th Division fought in France.
And the soldiers who fought at kwajalein did not fight at peleliu afterwards.
@@roderickstockdale1678 I completely understand your skepticism because the 28th is mainly known for France yes,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/111th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)
But the 111th was detached and sent to the Pacific. The second paragraph in that article describes their island hopping.
kakabukkake0 I just read that but, however, it wasn’t the only regiment detached from its division during the war, due to the triangular tabling. Same happened with the 147th of the Ohio National Guard and they later served on Guadalcanal, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima AND Okinawa. More than any marine regiment but the 8th!
My father was in the 1st marine and fought on Guadalcanal, Okinawa and Peleliu. He always said he had great respect for the tenacity of the Japanese soldiers. However, after fighting on Peleliu he was sickened by the unbelievable waste of lives on both sides because they could have just as easily stepped over that island and waited them out following the A bomb. He was on the island of Tinian building ladders to spearhead the mainland Japan invasion when the Enola Gay landed from the infamous mission!
My dad was on Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. I too wonder why certain islands could not simply have been passed by, as the Japanese were dug in to primarily defensive positions, and didn't really possess any offensive weaponry.
@@erikthorsen240 not ever island was invaded in the Pacific. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sergeant
@@erikthorsen240 same with iwo jima
My Great Uncle was Aerographer for the Cactus Air Force at Henderson. He landed on Tulagi and gave the first weather report on the beachhead.
@@erikthorsen240 Lack of intelligence. It isn't like they had satellites, they had a map, pen and paper, and possible important zones to capture and that's pretty much it.
My Grandfather Fought at Kwajalein. 50th Combat Engineers.
trll ur grandpa thank you for your service
STLOU87 I wonder if he spotted gangster chicken! And if he's still with us your grandfather that is give him a hug and a massive thanks from me.
Technical Sergeant was also a technical rank in the United States Marine Corps until 1958. From 1941 until 1946, the rank was equivalent to grade 2, ranking with Gunnery Sergeant and other technical ranks with which it shared its insignia. From 1947 until 1958, the rank was reclassified as E-6 and became the sole rank in this grade. The rank was renamed Gunnery Sergeant and elevated to E-7. Incase you're wondering, I didn't look at all comments so this may have been addressed. Semper Fi
And Master Gunners were warrant officers. Real Old Breed.
My great-uncle fought there! He was in the 4th Marine division 23rd reg.
He made through this battle and Saipan without a scratch, and was killed later on Iwo Jima on February 20 1945.
He was only 21 years old.
RIP. Pfc. Zivo Bodroski
I like how you can hear the cracking of enemy rounds flying over their heads. Something you dont get in any hollywood WW2 film.
I guess you've never seen any modern war movie like Saving Private Ryan.
All the rounds are "whizzing" in that film, something only sub-sonic velocity ammunition or ricochets would create. The "cracks" herd in this film are the sound of supersonic rounds; most ammunition carried by infantry fired supersonic rounds, whether it be for machineguns, rifles, or semi auto carbines. Most bullets flying by back then would have sounded like "cracks" with only the occasional "whizz".
Very informative, Martin. I've just learned something.
Saving Private Ryan has amazing sound design, it is however not very realistic unfortunately.
Im 10 months late but no, thats not an accurate representation of the sound of the combat. It followed the typical whiz and whine of hollywood shooters similar to old wild west sounds.
My grandfather was from jersey city. Fought his way up through Italy though. Was kind of cool hearing somebody else from jersey city fight in the pacific. Small country. God bless the soldiers on all sides. Brave men. Sad to see what is happening to our country now. Really sad.
Too true. The Republicans are now spitting on the graves of those brave men and women who fought and died for democracy.
12:23 That is absolutely incredible. I’m from New Jersey. Hope he survived the war and got back home alright, whoever he was...
What would ya do if ya needed to shit.?
Nick
?
Daniel Oconnell use a grenade canister and toss it or go on the ground. Dig a hole if could.
@@danocable you hold that shit. I'd assume some shit their pants from fear
This is an amazing recording- Thank you for posting
"Are boys are running across..." My god, where do we find men like this. I'm so proud to be an American.
btw, the commentator sounds like Loyd Briges.
why, you didn't do anything
Now a day boys would cry and scream wanting a safe space because they can't handle words said about them let alone actual war.
Our*
82 Luft *Lloyd Bridges
The guy doing the talking is doing an unbelievable job at staying by calm and talking clearly but I think @12:21 you really get to hear what the front line guys were going through when he starts interviewing that guy who came back 125 yards (that’s a hell of a long way) and said they can’t shoot them because they’re down in holes. Just the way his voice sounds when he answers brings this into reality more then any black and white footage I’ve ever seen. This is truly amazing.
I lived here for 2 years. 98~2000. Beautiful place. Battle damaged bunkers, Japanese hardened shelters, all severely battle damaged and now eroded from time/weather. Gun placements, torpedo test ponds. I loved living there... Wish I never left but there was this girl... I had to leave there to marry her... The end.
Don’t worry dude it gets worse from there
My uncle was one of the 140 Americans killed in the assault...perhaps one of the first few.
Jack Dedert R.I.P to ur uncle, a brave man.
Death be not proud, Jack. We all share your loss.
I worked there from '90-'95. Nearly every time we walked on the beach we would find bullets washed up on the shore.
There was still enough ordinance being found by people diving in the area, that there was still a monthly "blow" in the harbor, where they would explode it safely...
Respect to your uncle, I read the account of the battle, it was a hell hole fighting down that island.
rip
Both my husband's grandfathers were part of the D day invasion, his dads dad jumped in and his moms dad landed on Utah beach.
I never got to meet the one that jumped cause he died in 07 but i got to meet the one who stormed the beach and he was a character.
My husband served in the Marines and has been to both Iraq and Afghanistan but he says what he went through was nowhere close to what his grandpa's went through.
And hopefully none of us ever will know what a war like this is like again.
Amazing how calm they stay. Thank you for fighting for for freedom and justice. Greetings from Germany!
Velox_0 lol
You've got to listen to the RAF pilots chatter. They're like "Personally I believe we're hit" it's hilarious how calm and nonchalant they are about it.
linglingjr
I saw that video and it's amazing
Men of steel
linglingjr I saw/heard that the other day for the first time.. blew my mind. The calm and level headedness is off the charts. Immense respect.
A less hysterical generation
When you put on headphones, you can actually distinguish the American weapon fire. .30cals, bazookas, BARs, and M1s.
I love this. Two special bits, apart from that chicken:
1:34 "...and still give them the use of their rifles." You can tell they're Marines -- every man a rifleman.
6:19 "They're going into a lot of fire, but they're going in. They're not stopping for anything." Yup, definitely Marines.
It's inspiring to imagine those boys going into hell like that.
10:25 "...in fact they're putting out a lot more than they're taking." US Marines, Confirmed.
And here’s a brave chicken making people laugh decades later and for years to come
Makes history seem a lot less distant when you can actually hear guys in the middle of a battle just casually talking to each others like normal human beings.
You and i sitting in a shell whole laughing about a chicken without a care in hell
Are you using Pieper as your profile pic? No offense, but 🤮.
@@Flyingtaco82 using a rose as your profile picture… no offense but average asf
We are closer to the past than we realize
When I read John Keegan or Martin Gilbert or Ernst Jünger write about WWI, I feel like I’m transported back to that time.
My Grandfather fought in Okinawa. Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was shot through the leg. But made it home alive.
This is one of the islands my dad's squadron bombed. They flew PBY's & also rescued pilots that had been shot down & landed in the ocean. Later, during his last months before he died, more memories surfaced and at times he was back there. Asked me if I smelled cordite? And rambled about all the water and having to "get this gasoline to the boys in the trenches?" He grew up on a farm in north central Texas and hadn't seen that much water until he joined the Navy I haven't listened to all of the recording. Just can't right now, too many emotional things going on in my head but I eventually will in honor of him and ALL that fought & sacrificed to give the world freedom ❣️❣️✝️🙏🏻🇺🇸
Great Video!
The only things missing, the taste and smell of the air, the incredible loudness of it all, the crack and concussion of a large caliber round nearby and the incredibly fear. Not so much of the enemy but the possibility you'll frig something up and get one of your buddies hurt.
Eventually you get good at what you do and it gets easier, but it's never easy to see one of your own catch one. That never does.
The smells are missing. Burning flesh, disemboweled soldiers, body parts, shit and blood.
Absolutely fascinating!! Thank you for posting something so new to me as a WWII buff! I'd love to hear them after being "cleaned up" of the static and such.
2022 this still is one of the most powerful things I have ever listened too. I could SWEAR. Amazing. The one guy is not too far from where I lived
my grandpa fought in ww2 he was a pilot, he also was a professional farmer. I miss him greatly
Which theater?
That picture of the Marines staring at you. If the Marines are staring at he enemy, then the photographer is outside the foxhole between the enemy and the Marines. That's one brave photographer.
This could have been taken after the battle. Or could have been taken when the battle was still raging but they took it behind friendly lines.
I would think it likely that the photographer is looking at some kind of headquarters element or perhaps mortar pit behind the actual front line and the men in the foxholes behind the photographer (not pictured) are between him and the enemy, still likely quite close to the fighting tho.
Right, because every country during WW2 wasn’t staging the hell out of everything to boost morale.
My grandfather was a corporal with the 4th Signal Company on Roi-Namur. Fascinating to be able to listen to some of what he would have heard over the course of those days way back then.
I didn’t imagine that the audio would record this well under direct combat situations .i can imagine what seeing that chicken did for our morale . Those guys were probably ready to charge hell with a smile after seeing that .
@Voracious Reader right. You weren’t there I have a sincere respect for your father though. My grandfather saw action in Korea back in the 50’s. Am very grateful he felt comfortable sharing a small portion of the turmoil he experienced over there with me when I was in my latev20’s going through some life things of my own . Needless to say I never thought of my problems as problems after that.
My Mom probably made some of those bazooka rockets blasting the Japanese bunkers. She worked at the prime contractor for them the Budd Company in Chester, PA. She even worked her way up to being a shift supervisor on one of the assembly lines.
Did she have big tits or what?
My grandfather Richard Armstrong served on and survived sinking of carrier Hornet. Never heard him talk about it. I always thought that was such a shame.
A much different breed, and a much better one. God bless them all. I know he will.
Kbholla
Old school toughness. That mold is broken now. Not many kids today could do what they did.
For sure they were much more resilient than my generation. Gen Z is truly fucked.
Texas Tea the Depression, more civilized times, and TRUE patriotism!
This is absolutely incredible!!!
The chicken walking around the active battleground scratching and pecking as if it's just a normal day. That had to lift spirits with a laugh even if just a few moments.
My dad was in the fourth wave of D Day. My dad and 2 other soldiers were in the cellar of a build that was bombed, they were rescued 3 days later, family members said the man that entered the service, was not the same that came home.
This battle or Normandy?
Yeah, I'm trying to find out specifics about my dad's battle stations, ships served on, etc. in the Pacific Theater. He was a corpsmen either in the Marines or attached to the Marines. He went through both Navy and Marine boot camps, which he said sucked. I'm also curious as to how the war changed him, but he and all the people who knew him are long gone. I'm just so surprised that he was such a good dad after having gone through all that combat and losing so many comrades. He never spoke about life before the war. I don't get the feeling it was much fun, although in photos he looked like a happy kid.
@@erikthorsen240 Erik there should be resources to look up info online, if you know where he served, his division or company, is helpful.
@@andydefillippo4415 Thanks. He was in the 3rd Marine Division, I believe. Do you know a site that I can look it up on?
Erik Thorsen in or before the war? He never spoke about his childhood, the depression?
WOW! Thank You for giving me a sense of what my father endured on Okinawa.
Just looked up 312 Duncan ave Jersy City, I imagined that soldier going to the gate and walking up the five steps to his front door, hope he made it home to live the rest of his life out, thank you marine for our freedom
Absolutely amazing. Haunting, powerful, historic and extraordinarily important.
Another reason why I am humbled to have served in the Corps for 37 years…what a family I have been a part of!👍🏽🇺🇸. Thank you to our GREATEST GENERATION!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
A very heartfelt unending thank you to all of these veterans. May God bless them always!!! 🇺🇸✝️
You know what you can do with your God crap mate.
@@mcake1234 I'm nowhere close to being your "mate".
Let that image soak in while you listen. Look at the trees, the flak in the sky, the men hunkered down. Amazing video.
4:18 damn you can hear the fear in him,brave fellas on all sides
My great grandfather fought on this island. Brave men, very brave men
My father was there and at several other island battles including Saipan and Iwo Jima. He said soldiers either fought or they died, there wasn’t anything else anyone could do….there was no way off of the island where you were fighting, so there was no other choice. He said that nobody there was brave, they were all scared shitless (his words). He refused to give many details about the fighting, but I know the Marines combined with Army infantry killed 29,000 Japanese soldiers during the Battle of Saipan, an island 12 miles long and 5+ miles wide…..think about those numbers for a minute. A very large number of Japanese soldiers were burned to death by blowtorches in caves and bunkers, because they refused to surrender. Horrific!
Bad as this was, and it was tough, due to the lessons learned at Tarawa and the New Guinea Campaign the casualties were considered "light" in this assault and it went off close to the schedule. Because the Marines and Army secured the atoll quickly the fleet was able to manuver freely, instead of being tied down to aid and protect the invasion force. They inflicted major naval and air defeats in the Japanese in the course of this.
Anyone who's ever read "The Caine Mutiny" may remember that the Kwajalein invasion played a key role in the plot.
Damn, the intensity picked up really quick in that firefight...
We Marines are taught to honor those who came before, and WWII Marines are at the top of the food chain.
Must have been so scary, amazing to hear this really is like going back in time nothing no game or movie could recreate kids should also hear this in history class. RIP to all who died in that battle
Yeah, my dad was in from 12/8/1941-12/1946. Didn't talk about it. Fought on Guadalcanal, Solomons, Iwo Jima, etc. When we'd have a dinner party and some pretend tough guys would talk about their experience, he'd go outside and have a smoke.
@12:17 "Come over here just a minute" was a brief interview with Pvt. James J. Murphy from Jersey City, New Jersey at Roi-Namur, an island located in the north of Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. According to the 1-24thmarines website, Pvt. J. J. Murphy survived the war, and served in Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. Died 5/29/1975. Service # 450199.
He identifies himself @13:14.
The part with the chicken got me. Even in war and the fear you will always find humor in tense battles.
"Then the concrete pill boxes that they had around here were really something. The thickness... these things were built for eternity by the looks of things,but they weren't built for 14 & 16 inch shells and 2000 pound bombs... and that's what they got."
Its scary just listening to the guns, i cant imagine be there
The chicken comment is really funny. I could not help but to think about something that happened at the Battle of Fredericksburg in the Civil War. Interestingly at the battle of Fredericksburg, General Lee's chief of the artillery commented to Lee before the battle “General, we cover that ground so well that a chicken could not live on that field when we open on it.”
This hits man. 😔
Horror...this is real horror and bravery.
Such brave soldiers
I was in 2nd FAST CO, USMC in 2007 when we flew to this island on the way back to the states. The island is so small, you could turn around 360° and pretty much see the breaking waves in any direction.
13:18 Private J. J. Moultrie 312 Duncan Avenue Jersey City, .50 Caliber Machine Gun Operator.
I hope he made it.
He made it. He died at age 55. 1stbattalion24thmarines.com/the-companies/biographies/james-j-murphy/
@@cybrown Thanks so very much for sharing!
Just looked at the house on street view. Looks like the original he lived in.
We love and Thank ALL OF YOU.
My dad faught in the Pacific. He never talked about it until a year or so before he passed.
Your dad was a True Hero. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sergeant
My dad was there with the 121st seabees ,20th marines. He said the marine's ran across the island. Very brave men. My dad was from passaic NJ and talked like popeye the sailor man.
Amazing to hear that their accent back then sounds so much more British than the American English of today.
depends where you are but yes. hell there are recordings of biden in the 70’s with a very refined accent. i dont mean to be political but hes the first example that came to mind since i just watched the vid lol
They don't sound British at all, you need to get your hearing checked.
Education
I love this old NY accent
Chris It's actually a mid-Atlantic accent.
seattwa, what mid- atlantic states are you reffering to?
82 Luft Not mid Atlantic states. MID ATLANTIC. It's the accent you hear when you listen to 1930s-1940s news reels or movies. It was a made up accent that was a combination of American and British accents. And used by news broadcasters, radio announcers and actors/actresses of the time.
seattwa, ok, now I understand. Thanks.
82 Luft Your welcome! :-)
I lived and worked on Roi and Kwajalein for 5 years, 1990 - 1995. I walked the beaches and the battlefield. Also got to be there for the 50th anniversary of the invasion. Got to see Richard Keith Sorenson, who got a Medal of Honor while fighting on Roi. It was an honor for me to live and work on these holy grounds.
To skip Voice inro.. go to 2:10
Actor Lee Marvin was a Marine who fought on a large number of islands on the Kwajalein atoll.
Todd Sauve ...and he got shot in the buttocks. Still a hero
Marine Marvin was not at Kwajalein. He did participate in three assaults, and was shot in the buttocks at Saipan. The bullet severed a nerve, which precluded his ability to remain active, so it was his last island campaign.
Thanks Rick for your insightful comment. Lee Marvin was one of my all time favorite actors, and fellow combat veteran (Nam). He died before his time. I think excess drinking had alot to do with his passing. I for one should know.
82 Luft is that true?
@@rickspencer6343 In fact, according to Lee Marvin he invaded 21 different islands, mostly in the Marshalls, as a Marine scout/sniper. Yes, 21 different islands, most in the Marshalls right around Kwajalein. Whether he was right on Kwajalein or not is uncertain but he was on all sorts of islands right beside it fighting the Japanese. Saipan, in the Marianas, was his last invasion. He was shot in the posterior and foot before being snuck away from the battlefield and eventually sent back to a hospital in Guadalcanal. He spent 13 months recovering but was then discharged for medical reasons. Of the almost 250 Marines in his last outfit on Saipan, only six survived the war, including him.
This is crazy, the commentary is really interesting especially his vocabulary
the chicken, my god what an amazing thing to have recorded
An incredible piece of WWII history.
Marines were on Roi-Namur, on the north end of Kwajalein Atoll. Army was on Kwajalein island.
@12:12 That interview with young Murphy from Jersey city, the 50 cal guy was amazing.. I wonder if his family have heard this video?
The quick interviews are what's interesting to me. People talked differently back then. Very interesting.
Yeah I think it's referred to as the Mid-Atlantic accent. There several videos about it on UA-cam. Seems to be a halfway point between a standard American accent and one of the accents from Britain.
Uriel Correa The mid-atlantic accent is only applicable to actors and very high class citizens at the time. The real reason was recently(1960s) we experienced a vowel shift and we began pronouncing words differently
My grandfather was there as a Navy Corpsman after the battle.
He had to bag some of the bodies and treat the Marines.
Miss you Grandpop
This is outstandingly good audio!!! You can hear it all bullets ricocheting some whizzing by gunfire and explosions in the distance
These are the Greatest Generation Marines.... tough Marines. Thank you. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sergeant who served in the early 70s.
Absolutely wild to be listening to this all these years later.
That’s a man. A marine war reporter who just landed in a war zone and first thing he says is “I don’t know if I sound scared, but I AM”. He don’t sound scared though. My mans a rock.
My Mom had an Uncle that died in this battle serving as a Sargent in the Army. Sargent Rudy Meyer resting peacefully at The Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii. Thank you Uncle! We miss you.😔
My great grandfather died during this battle. He had a heart attack sitting in his chair in Bakersfield, CA. R.I.P. 🙏🙏🙏
What an incredible piece of history.
That's a Japanese Type 95 War Chicken at 6:30.
I would be scarred shitless. I don't know how these brace men did it.
Through training, training, and more training!
I don't know how that chicken did it
They were scared too. Just like the Marines I served with in Iraq as a Corpsman. Anyone who tells you and who wears the uniform that has ever been in combat who says he's not scared you tell him for me he's a liar or he's crazy.
Amazing, groundbreaking coverage! To hear it from next to the soldiers… wow
What was that Marine's name from Jersey City?
I found out it's James J. Murphy, he survived the war but died in 1975 at age of 54
Amazing! Thank you.
Murp quit fkn around and got that .50 ammo back up front lol
Definitely know why the chicken crossed the road now - thanks for posting.
Omg i studied about this battle and knowing how it starts, and how it get to where it is in the audio, just gives me so much anxiety
War is hell
Thanks for sharing a sad reminder of the chaos of battle!
Another great example of a truly brave generation who fought for our freedom against the axis powers. A huge difference when compared to the soft, self obsessed generation we have now, who get so upset when they get cold costa coffee or the wifi drops out! My wifes grandfather Freddie was taken prisoner by the japanese for three years and the horrors he had to endure were beyond inhuman. We owe this generation so much. I hope the guys heard on the recording made it home to their loved ones.
Awesome. I Work in New Castle sometimes. Great post thanks