Corridor vets recall Iwo Jima

The year was 1945. It was February, and the U.S. Marines were about to embark on one of the key battles of World War II as they approached the island of Iwo Jima.
Two Ocala men were members of the U.S. Navy at the time, and were in craft offshore as the Marines took to the island and eventually won control. Both men were at the Iwo Jima memorial event at Marion Woods last week.
Both spoke at the gathering, and both were firm in their appreciation for the fact that the U.S., under President Harry Truman, dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.
Bill Lehr, who lives in Marion Landing off State Road 200, told the guests, mostly veterans, about his time in the military.
He spent his first 15 months assigned to Landing Ship Tank (LST) 807 assigned to the Pacific. “On Jan. 4, 1945, we left Pearl (Harbor) and went a long way with Marines and equipment. We landed at Iwo Jima on Feb. 19 on the beach.
“It was dark. The Marines unloaded and took off because most of the battles were on the other side of the island.”
Lehr said his craft’s duty was to take on wounded Marines. After five days he saw an American flag being raised on the mountains, and then “later a second flag.” That second flag became the iconic picture that is still associated with Iwo Jima today.
At one point, he said a single Japanese kamikaze tried to attack his ship. “He was shot down, and we didn’t lose anybody.”
His craft had another dangerous situation, even after the war. “We were hit by a typhoon on the way back,” he said, adding that others were damaged but his LST came through OK.
“We had to bomb the two towns. I know it killed a lot of innocent people, but if we invaded they would have thrown everybody out to fight us. If we had an invasion, I might not have been here.”
Detroit Johnson, who lives in Oak Run, also off 200, was in the Navy Seabees and followed a similar path to get to Iwo Jima. “It took us some time to get there from Hawaii in a troop ship with the 3rd Marine Division.”
He added, “One of the things our ship was used for was for Marine casualties.” He said that “after a time, we’d have a burial at sea” for those who had been killed.
As the invasion progressed, part of his job was to help clean up areas. “Our job was to prepare the landing strip” which had been damaged by shelling.
To illustrate how times have changed, he said that one day his men heard there was a plane coming in that was built with no propellers. “It was the first time we had ever seen a jet,” he said, noting the turbulence and waves from the aircraft.
Although he was a gunner’s mate, he said he “could work with anything. I could operate and run any heavy equipment there was.” He was also assigned as a commander’s guard.
At Iwo Jima, the Americans had 6,812 killed or missing, 19, 217 wounded and two captured. The Japanese, on the other hand, had 21,844 killed, but no wounded were found. The Americans captured 216 men. It was widely believed that most wounded Japanese had taken their own lives.
Johnson felt that things would have been much worse had the U.S. invaded Japan. Like Lehr, he had visions of what would have happened. “Every walking living person would have a gun. We could lose 40 to 50 thousand.”
Johnson praised the dropping of the bombs. “Thanks to Harry (Truman), I’m here today. That was the big thing.
“Thank God, Harry saved all of us.”

Jim Clark

Detroit Johnson speaks to the gathering at Marion Woods to commemorate the anniversary of Iwo Jima.

Jim Clark

Bill Lehr speaks to the gathering at Marion Woods to commemorate the anniversary of Iwo Jima.