Journey to Kunishi

"Damn it Anderson, wake the fuck up-what the hell's the matter with you, we're gonna be on the beach in fifteen minutes-the rest of you jarheads get ready," Platoon Sergeant Mosher shouted.

Joe was startled, he had dozed off. They had been inside the hold of the LST with the Amtracs’ engines running for more than a half-hour.

Suddenly the large doors at the bow of the LST opened and the ramp dropped into the water. As the Amtracs proceeded under power, Joe became fully awake as they re-entered that world of "all hell': the roar of the dive-bombers, the rocket barrages, the incredible blasts of 14 and 16 inch guns, the sounds of many ships.

It was 1April, Easter Sunday, 1945. The bloodiest battle of the whole Pacific campaign, Okinawa, began at 8:30 in the morning.

69 year old Joe Anderson sat bolt upright in his bed with a loud gasp. He was breathing very hard with perspiration rolling down his face. He lay back against the pillow. Slowly his breathing returned to normal.

He stared out of the window at the far end of the darkened room. He thought of all the years leading up to being back in his old house again, the house in which he and his sisters grew up. Joe and his wife had only been in his childhood home for a very short time.

Joe and Paul Sarducci ran low, zigzagging about 50 yards to the left up the incline to the Lieutenant. They crouched down behind a large boulder as he began giving his orders, calmly, but with authority as the horrendous firefight roared around them.

"Who's got the Flamethrower on this one?" Perez said.

"I do sir", Joe said.

Lieutenant Perez pointed across the ravine. "Obviously we can't stand up here but right across from us, about 60 yards away, there's a cave half way up that hill. When I give the order, the Bazooka man will fire a round into that cave, at the same time two heavy machine guns will lay down covering fire. You two haul-ass over there, put about 6 seconds of Napalm into the cave and then sweep the hill with what you have left then zigzag, run like hell back down the ravine. Go right behind this hill to Battalion Headquarters where you can get a re-fill of Napalm, Sarducci, you give Joe plenty of covering fire with that Tommy gun."

"Yes Sir," they both said.

Immediately, the bazooka man fired his weapon and all hell broke loose from the heavy machine guns close by. Joe ran across the ravine, zigzagging "Oh God be with us--Oh God be with us," he thought.

The noise was unbelievable as he reached a point about twenty five yards from the cave. He pulled the trigger on the front handle with his left hand, sparks flew out of the front cylinder as he squeezed the fuel release trigger with his right hand. With a huge roar and tremendous back pressure the sky and the hill exploded in fire. There was another enormous explosion from inside the cave. Joe swept the rest of the hill with the 6 seconds of fire left. Quickly Joe and Paul turned and ran zigzagging down the ravine toward the bottom, Paul still firing his Tommy gun at the ridge. They made their way around the back of their ridge to Battalion Headquarters and safety.

Joe was still short of breath and shaking a little. "God, am I glad that's over."

Paul let out a nervous laugh. "I tell you that's one hell of a weapon.
She-it. That thing really fires."

Joe had no sooner dropped his empty flamethrower when Corporal Harrison pointed to a fully loaded one.

"There you go guys. This fuckin' Ronson is ready for another cook out." Corporal Harrison said almost falling over, laughing at his own joke.

Paul and Joe just looked at him. Paul picked up the weapon and got into the harness. "It's my turn." He gave Joe the clip belt and Tommy gun, they both made their way, slowly, back to the other side of the ridge.

"I don't hear anything on the other side of the ridge," Joe exclaimed.

"That's beautiful. Silence is fuckin' beautiful," Paul said intently. He didn't count the constant roar of fighters and dive-bombers.

As they made their way to the path leading up the other side of the ridge, they could see across the short valley. Marines were swarming all over the place. Joe and Paul's first firefight was over. In their own way, each gave silent thanks and prayed it would always be so.

"You guys did a hell of a job," Platoon Sergeant Mosher said, "Sarducci, un-hook that thing, both of you grab a K-ration, get some rest. It'll be about another half-hour before we get out of here.”