IWO JIMA FIGHTER GROUP

[Cigarband]

A friend sent me this link to some great pics of Fighter Operations on Iwo Jima. There's a couple of nice pics of A-2s and B-15s too.http://picasaweb.google.com/7thfighter/IwoJima?authkey=Gv1sRgCIW06db_6oth&feat=email#slideshow/5299163150448181842

 

[USAAFAcePilot]

Solid! A lot of great P-51 shots too! Great photos!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Very excellent indeed! Great unseen photos. I am assuming that many of the dead were Japanese who offed themselves with grenades rather than be captured. They wear putties, so they appear to be Japanese. Anyway, thanks for posting this - I am fascinated by actual combat photos!

-dixon cannon

 

[Story]

I am assuming that many of the dead were Japanese who offed themselves with grenades rather than be captured. They were putties, so they appear to be Japanese.
-dixon cannon

Possibly one of the groups of infiltrators that plagued the Marines' rear areas, towards the end of the battle?

 

[JimWagner]

Thanks for posting that link. Lots of great pictures.

 

[Sgt Brown]

Possibly one of the groups of infiltrators that plagued the Marines' rear areas, towards the end of the battle?

From Wikipedia:

However, on the night of March 25, a 300-man Japanese force launched a final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield No. 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the Japanese force for up to 90 minutes but suffered heavy casualties (53 were killed, and another 120 were wounded). Two Marines from the 36th Depot Company, an all-African-American unit, received the Bronze Star. 1st Lieutenant Harry Martin of the 5th Pioneer Battalion was the last Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor during the battle.

Sarge

 

[Peacoat]

Good photos Cigar, thanks for posting. I noticed some of the photos had names of the people in them, as well as their addresses. One was a Major Gilmer Snipes from San Antonio, TX. Knowing a little about SA, I did a Google map search for his address, 122 East Ashley Place.

I wanted to see what condition the neighborhood was in 65 or so years later. It wasn't there. For blocks, on both sides of the street, there was nothing but scraggly Texas grass and those Mesquite Trees that are so ubiquitous in all of Texas. Not a house, not a business, not even a foundation was left standing. It looked as though a nothing had ever been there. Quite sad actually.

The next time I'm in San Antonio, I think I will go to that area and see if I can find out what is going on. And pay homage to Major Snipes while I am at it.