Hide Article Text (OCR)
The Chief Beachmaster saysIt was Hell at 9Lt. Comdr. j. P. Grogan returns to the ETO with an account of the bioodiest battle in Marine Corps historyBy Tom BernardStars and ft'dre* M *’ ’’dftorA FIRST-PERSON account of the threc-and-a-half-day shambles which ended in the American capture of the major Jap strongJkjkl in the Gilbert Islands has been brought to the ETO by Lt. Cfndr,John Patrick Grogan (CEC), USNR, who served as one of the two Chief Beach-masters during the bloodiest assault in America’s history—the Battle .of Tarawa.The officers *nd men of Naval Headquarters in London knew Grogan before as a veteran of two years’ service in the United Kingdom during which time he worked as an engineer on the construction of the Navy's Northern Ireland bases. When he returned from the Stales—and Tarawa— he had changed. He was thinner, his deep hearty laugh was hollower, he seemed older.After you've read his story you'll understand ' why.Just about a year ago he reported in the United States to Amphibious Forces,Atlantic Fleet. He was given a job with a seemingly innocuous -title: “Staff civil engineer with amphibious research and development duties.” For a time he lived the life of Grogan he'd dreamed about so many nights in the ETO.But soon he found himself heading across the Pacific, bound for an amphibious operation and equipped with little more than another innocent-sounding title:‘■Observer.”piles in what you might call violent evasive action.“By that time it was 11 AM and we knew that we had to get to work in a hurry. While some of the force engaged the Japs, 1 took a party of Marine Pioneers (combat engineers) and started to repair the bomb holes in the end of the pier.”Lt. Cmdr. Grogan described the deadly barrage under which the Marines fought and worked at the same time. So intense was the battle that often their only protection was the piled bodies of their dead comrades. Finalty, with little or no equipment and using the wreckage of another pier to fill bomb holes they made the long pier useable and radioed the task force to “come on in—it's ready.”He Saw Tarawa Falltemporarily established on the other side of the island by two other landing parties, there was little left of Grogan's group. Just a few scattered boats, mostly with duties similar to his.Tiv first Jan countcr-blcw had wipedl?ier Was K.ey PointThe second bombardment— repetition of the previous day’s—started. This time it was more successful on tire pier side of the island. Fresh waves of Marines managed to fight their way in and establish scanty beachheads and finally link up with the few others who had landed the day before.- Throughout the next day and * half, when the beachheads exchanged hands a score of times, the pier was the key to the battle. To.protect landing of supplies at the end'of the pier the Pioneers built small forts of ”K” rations, water cans,
Newspaper Details
Northern Ireland Stars and Stripes
Belfast, Ulster, GB
Thu, Feb 17, 1944
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Sdm T.
AL, USA 30 Jan 2024
Other Publications Near Belfast, Ulster
Northern Ireland Stars and Stripes
