Re: Saipan

Vick,

Thank you for that rememberance.  My Dad is a Marine too.  (You never leave the Corps.)  All of the time I was growing up, I thought he did little more than map Pacific atolls; where, along with the rest of his unit,  killing little more than time, would save up beer rations and look forward to the regular company boxing matches; and then, having survived them, would enjoy a celebratory steak dinner with his opponent; whoever was unfortunate enough  to spar with him. Afterward, the poor bastard, usually beaten to a pulp, and a bit toothless, would dine;  happy for life and to be able to gum his prized meal.  Dad on the other hand, spoke of the pleasure he took in making a well connected blow, collapsing the facial bones of a man.  Dad had wonderfully big hands, and beautiful set of teeth.

I always think, not really knowing, that it was his Dickensian, "Best of Times..."  When pressed, he would drill me on shouldering my plastic "pea shooter" (which it was), to "Present arms! Quarter arms",  and on down the list of militarilistic manuevers, squinting at me to repeat it, until I had got it just right, or until he had tired of the exercise. I think he enjoyed that part of his life in the service.  He was a Marine Marksman. (I shot him in the chest with a BB gun once and I thought he was going to kill me!)  He crossed the International Dateline and became a member of the Order Of the Neptune Society. He loved the Mamasans in Tokyo; sailed into Nagasaki Harbor after they dropped "Little Boy".  Yet, as a teenager, he saw the world. 

Since then, I have tried to piece together the other side of his experience.  Whether it is watching an episode of "Worlds at War/
Saipan Invasion", searching all of the mens faces on the screen, certain that I would see him among the living and fighting; or simply to be able to share in some memoribilia from that time.  Sadly, an incredible story to be told to our family and  to the pantheon of what has come to be called "Our Greatest Generation's" story, will remain untold.

So with paradoxical intent, I wanted to say hello and goodbye to a good man. 

Josephus

P.S.

When your website site said Manila, I thought you might have shipped off to the Phillipines!  (Then I thought, manila, like a folder. What a stupid I am).

Maybe that's not right either.