Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault
November 20th 1943 D-Day Tarawa Atoll
My names Tom Conlin a WWII soldier fighting for the US Marine Corps. This is my story. This is my war.
The Boats were almost at the beach of Tarawa Atoll and there was heavy shells being fired from the allied battleships and coming from the beach. ''If they keep that up there won't be know island to walk on!'' Shouted a soldier in one of the boats. ''That's fine by me!'' Answered another man. ''Yeah no way anybody's still alive on that joint!'' Another soldier said. ''Wouldn't count on that if I was you!'' Shouted the man in the very front. ''Any of you new guys feel like throwing up word of advice to it now!'' The man said as he looked at the other men. I looked around to see the scared faces of the other soldiers. Three week wonders that's what we called the new guys. That was all the training they got and it wasn't enough, they usually didn't last very long. The shells from the beach were getting more frequent we were very close now. No matter how much training you got or how strong you are. When you strap up and step onto the battlefield for the first time it changes you for ever. Tarawa Atoll was just another strip of sand in the middle of know were. But for many of us it would be the last thing we ever saw.
''Tommy!'' Shouted a friend from another boat. ''I'll see you on the beach!'' I turned and waved. '' 20 seconds!'' the man at the front shouted. Then all of a sudden there was gun fire ''Colin man that 50!'' I fired like never before there were so many Japs on the beach as we drew closer and closer and I just kept on firing they fell like nothing else then.....''BANG'' the boat was hit and we all went flying at first I thought I was hit but I felt know pain I looked around to see body parts of my fellow men spread all over the place. I was covered in there blood I new I had to get to the beach head and fast or it would be me next. I heard man screaming from every angle as the Japs just tore them apart. Finally I got to the beach head. ''Tommy get in here!" Shouted a soldier who was in cover with the rest of the men. The Japs were coming and they were charging right at us we held our position and fired at them as they came at us. There were so many of them I hadn't seen anything like it. Blood was spraying everywhere as we just gunned one after another down. After about five minutes of hard violent fighting we moved out of cover into the open beach were more japs were. It seemed for now that we had the upper-hand as like the other Japs these also went down without much difficulty. I moved up to a shed on the beach and then ''BANG'' all was silent and dark. ''Now, now, now what in the name of Jesus are you doing! Why are you not doing everything I taught you! You are a dead Marine! Lets try this a again maggot!''
Magot, worm, scum and dirt bag were just few of the words I was called by my beloved drill instructor. I remember asking the recruiting officer what's the deal with you guys and I swear to god he looked me in the eyes and said 'to you son we're Marines and we deal in lead'. Next thing a new I was soldiering for the core.