Robert Wilson Blakeley - Marines Robert attended Weber from 1941 through 1942 and his campus memories are the great teachers and the many good friends he made. He was active in the Wildcats, Alpha Rho Omega fraternity, Interclub Council and the Signpost. His military service was in the U.S. Marine Corps as a master gunnery sergeant from 1943-1946 in WWII and 1950-1951 in Korea. He served with the 4th Marine Division in Pacific Operations and was decorated with the following medals: American Theatre, Asiatic Pacific, WWII Victory Medal, Occupation Medal (Asia), Korean Service Medal, three stars, and Presidential Unit Citation, one star. Clarence Daniels Brown - Marines Clarence D. Brown writes the following World War II experience: I spent 37 months in the U.S. Marine Corps from August 6, 1942, until September 20, 1945. Twenty seven of those months were in the South Pacific (the Asiatic Pacific Campaign) defending our country against the Japanese invaders of World War II. My basic training was in San Diego, California, and upon completion, I was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, 12th Marine Artillery unit as a survey computer. After intensive combat training, my unit shipped out on February 23, 1943, for additional combat training in New Zealand. My 3rd Marine Division, 12th Marine Artillery Unit made one landing under combat conditions (Guadalcanal) and three initial landings (Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima). On July 19, 1943, we landed on Guadalcanal and experienced heavy bombardment every night that we were there. The enemy was operating from nearby islands and sank some of our supply ships. Guadalcanal was established as a 'base camp' for further operations and acted as a springboard to invade surrounding islands. On November 1, 1943, the 3rd Marine Division made the initial landing on Bougainville, Solomon Islands near the equator. Bougainville was a Hades of torment, misery and affliction, a nether land of oppressive heat and earth shaking mountains of fire and brimstone. The Bougainville jungle was a gruesome and sickening monster. It was an infectious, hostile environment of animals, plants and insects, all preying upon one another. It was a decomposing quagmire, oozing of disease, putridity and rot. Even its inhabitants were primitive, head-hunting cannibals. The Japanese attacked Guam, a United States possession, the same day as Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. With the fall of the island, the proud and noble people of Guam - the Chamorros - began two and a half years of unbelievable servitude, torture, and death at the hands of their ruthless captors. On July 21, 1944, the 3rd Marine Division made the initial landing on Guam under very heavy fire (machine guns, mortar and heavy artillery). Shortly after hitting the beach, I was wounded by shrapnel in the corner of my right eye. After three days on the hospital ship, I asked to be returned to my unit. The day after returning to my unit, the Japanese over ran and infiltrated our lines, and I was trapped in a cave lined with coconut logs for 18 hours. We were under extremely heavy fire and in fear for our lives and the lives of every Marine sharing the island with us. The enemy must have known that we were in that cave because they kept tossing grenades into the mouth of the cave that would absolutely rock the earth beneath our bodies. The extremely large concussion made by the exploding grenades was so intense; it temporally deafened us within the cave. We remained captive in this cave, fighting the enemy with everything we had until the Marines recaptured the area. Those of us, who survived the cave, emerged suffering from shell shock and other minor wounds. We were patched up and ready for the next mission the Marine Corps had for us. The fighting on Guam was so intense and casualties were extremely high. While still on Guam, I received the Purple Heart Medal, for wounds received in combat, which my family and I cherish. The people of Guam had been mistreated by the Japanese and were very happy to be liberated and have their freedom restored. On February 19, 1944, the 4th and 5th Division landed on Iwo Jima about 500 miles from Japan; and because of their heavy losses, the 3rd Marine Division was called in to support the campaign. There on eight square miles of rock and volcanic ash were 60,000 Marines fighting and 20,000 Japanese who were well dug into caves and concrete bunkers. Little wonder that our losses were so great. According to military records, one out of three was a casualty, or 27,000 Marines. I witnessed the raising of the United States of America flag on Mount Suribachi and little did we think we were watching history in the making. To the Marines, 'Victory Was Never In Doubt; the Cost Was!' After Iwo Jima was secure, I returned to Guam and then was released to go home after 27 months in the South Pacific. I was on a Landing Support Transporter (LST-242) that took 30 days to arrive in San Diego. Through 188 teary eyes of us all, we witnessed the most beautiful and memorable sight - 'United States of America!' Alvin R. Carter- Marines My military experiences began 10 December 1943 at Marine Corps Base Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, when I was 18 years old. At this time, the boot camp training was shortened to seven weeks, providing the basics of military organization, close order drill, weaponry, hygiene, obstacle course, etc. I graduated from boot camp in February 1944 as a private first class (Pfc) and qualified as an 'expert rifleman.' From Boot Camp, I was assigned to a tank mechanic training program at Jacques Farm just outside of San Diego. I served as a driver in the motor transport while at this camp. In October 1944, orders were made to report to Camp Pendleton, California, in preparation to be sent overseas. I was based on Maui, in the Hawaiian Islands, assigned to the 4th Marine Division. January 1945 the Division and attached troops departed Maui and assembled at Pearl Harbor. By mid-January convoys were heading west to a destination which had not yet been revealed to the troops in general. Eventually we learned that Iwo Jima, Japan, a small island only 758 miles from Tokyo, was our destination. The Island was about five miles wide and eight miles long at the extremes, shaped somewhat like a pork chop. Assault beaches were on the east side of the island and were designated by colors as green, red, yellow and blue beaches. On 19 February 1945 at nine a.m., the first assault forces landed on Iwo Jima amidst a deadly barrage of mortar, machine guns and artillery fire. Carnage and destruction were everywhere to be seen. Wrecked equipment trucks, boats and the litter from thousands of troops and horrific explosions were almost unimaginable. One morning, on this tiny volcanic island, my friend Pfc Burch E. Caudell from Georgia was hit by enemy artillery fire and killed. He was the first of several friends who lost their lives. For a few days, we were held on the beach and faced frequent mortar and artillery fire. On one of these mornings, I was aboard a Landing Ship Tank (LST) working with others to unload 55 gallon drums of gasoline for transport ashore. Suddenly a series of six enemy mortar rounds came in a straight line from the north in intervals of about 50 yards, each round advancing toward where we were unloading the fuel. The last round made a direct hit in a foxhole; where non-commissioned officers of our group were. Two sergeants and a corporal were killed instantly. A friend of mine, from our Jacque's Farm days, was in a nearby foxhole and in an effort to escape the barrage, he left his foxhole just as the round exploded in the adjacent area and was killed by a metal fragment from the mortar. The following weeks were filled with intense and frightening action. This battle took 6,000 American lives and over 20,000 Japanese lives. On March 16, our unit was relieved and boarded ship for the return trip to Maui. With the war ending in Europe, all attention was geared to preparations for the invasion of Japan. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought Japan's surrender in September. After the war ended, I was sent with occupation forces to Tsingtao, China, where the forces worked to send Japanese troops back to Japan and to provide stability to the Chinese Government. Chinese communists were trying to take control. I left China in March and was discharged at Marine Corps Base, San Diego, 27 April 1946. I returned home and resumed my civilian life. I have never regretted my military service. It helped me become who I am, a free American. Harold Murray Carver - Marines Harold served in the United States Marine Corps from 1943-1946, and served in the Guadalcanal, Guam, Okinawa and China. He was part of a joint assault signal company attached to the Sixth Marine Division. He reached the rank of corporal and received an honorable discharge. 189