He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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Canoerebel
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by Canoerebel »

Private Harris W. Steele was killed in action 70 years ago today. He was one of 6,820 US servicemen who died at Iwo Jima. By this point in the campaign - D Plus 15 - the action was entering its second phase, as most of the main obstacles (Surabachi, the airfields, the quarry, and most of the Meat Grinder) had been taken. The second phase would last until around March 20, with plenty more American soldiers perishing.

Harris Steele would spend three years at Iwo. He came ashore February 25 and died March 6, 1945. His remains were disinterred from the 4th Marine cemetery and returned to the USA in 1948.

This brings to a close the rembrance of one marine's time on Iwo. This story began with a request for help on the old WitP forum in 2009 and continued with several other requests, including one as recently as early last year.

Thanks, forumites, for helping make this possible.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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warspite1
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by warspite1 »

ORIGINAL: rustysi
Wasn't Okinawa the largest amphibious operation ever, exceeding even D-Day at Normandy?

Yes.
warspite1

Out of curiosity, what makes you say that? i.e. what are you basing that answer on? Is it number of ships, personnel, men landed, aircraft? What is included and what is left out to get to the answer?

Just curious as I cannot get a 'definitive' answer to this and it is an interesting question.

Many thanks.
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Canoerebel
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by Canoerebel »

That "Okinawa" was the biggest invasion/amphibious operation is widely quoted in many books that I've read on the subject.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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warspite1
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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I've seen this stated too - for both Okinawa and Normandy - but of course the missing piece is "on what basis is that statement (in favour of either operation) being made". rustyi's response sounded pretty unequivocal so wondered what measurement he was using.
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rustysi
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by rustysi »

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: rustysi
Wasn't Okinawa the largest amphibious operation ever, exceeding even D-Day at Normandy?

Yes.
warspite1

Out of curiosity, what makes you say that? i.e. what are you basing that answer on? Is it number of ships, personnel, men landed, aircraft? What is included and what is left out to get to the answer?

Just curious as I cannot get a 'definitive' answer to this and it is an interesting question.

Many thanks.

Based at least on the number of ground forces involved. I doubt there were more aircraft initially. Maybe there were more ships, not sure. For that matter Sicily was bigger than Normandy.
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In every party there is one member who by his all-too-devout pronouncement of the party principles provokes the others to apostasy. Nietzsche

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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by stuman »

Great article. Thank you for sharing.
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bigred
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by bigred »

I saw this Magazine in my local store today.



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---bigred---

IJ Production mistakes--
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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It's always good to see you, Canoerebel

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Canoerebel
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by Canoerebel »

Good to see you too, Geoff. But I'm still trying to get a handle on the whole lizard thing!
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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The magazine story "He was Ours and We Lost Him" prompted several readers to contact us.

Or, in the case of one acquaintance, to stop me at our local mall. As a boy, he had lived on Iwo in 1947 when he was seven years old. His father, an Army lieutenant colonel, was the officer in command of the base there for awhile.

Today, the acquaintance gave me copies of photos from his time on Iwo. This included the February 19, 1947 military observance of the two-year anniversary of D-Day. In a few minutes, I'm going to post a couple of photos from that observance.

The acquaintance also brought by the office a retired marine who is traveling to Iwo. He leaves here Sunday. He has the magazine aritcle and is going to try to locate the area where Harris Steele was killed (Turkey Knob). He said he might leave his copy of the magazine at that place, which would be a touching thing for me.

Another friend called eariler in the week and says that he too has lots of Iwo memorabilia and photos. His uncle, a young P-51 pilot from Alabama, was stationed on Iwo during the war. He was KIA during a raid over Japan. According to this friend, the Japanese buried the uncle (during the war) with some kind of "honoring ceremony" because he had died in combat.

Another retired marine stopped me in church Sunday morning. He was in the marines during Korea and did some training on Iwo. By then (early 1950s), wreckage of tanks and landing craft and other equipment still littered the beach and shoreline. He says it was a haunting place.

Some photos to follow.


"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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Canoerebel
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo, post war.

Private Steele's remains were removed from this cemetery in 1947 at the request of the family. His remains arrived in Brunswick, Georgia, in March 1948.

Coincidentally, the friend who gave me this photo was a seven-year-old boy living on Iwo in 1947. It's possible that he could have been present during that very disinterment!

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"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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B-29s over Suribachi for the memorial ceremony, February 19, 1947.

I think the Army was in charge of this observance since it was the branch handling the base. But representatives of the Marines, Navy and Airforce were present.

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"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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Joe Rosenthal at an Iwo monument during the February 19, 1947 ceremony. Rosenthal gave the autographed photo to the lieutenant colonel in charge of the US military post on the island.

My friend has a letter from Rosenthal to my friend's father shortly after the ceremony. Rosenthal had promised to bring back a handful of Iwo sand to a lady in Massachusetts whose son had served on Iwo. Rosenthal had forgotten, so he wrote the Army commander and asked him to mail some sand.

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"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

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Damaged landing craft still littered the shoreline in 1947 (and well into the '50s and I think perhaps until recently).

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"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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RE: He was Ours and We Lost Him (Iwo Jima)

Post by Canoerebel »

Program cover for the February 19, 1947 invasion anniversary commemoration. Note Rosenthal's signature. Note Nimitz's quote (dear to all UV players).

This is the last photo (at least for now).

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"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
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