By choice, chance and God\'s hand, I survived some extremely trying times in the Marine Corps during World War II.
I was not a hero, but I walked among heroes..
Lest you think I am portraying myself as some kind of hero -- let me remind you, they never asked me if I wanted to go on these Combat landings to Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima.
Those who stand and wait have not shared this burden.
Perhaps cruel, but it retained our sanity.
Yesterday was an age away, this is today, we hope to see tomorrow.
We simply moved on.
We did not dwell on one or multiple losses.
What is past is past.
We acknowledged the loss then moved on.
I have often been asked, How did you cope with death as an everyday fact? I tell of losing eight buddies on one day on Guam.
Our constant goal.
Our front line troops on numerous occasions told me our artillery barrage had stopped the Japs cold.
As an artilleryman, I am proud we provided this edge.
A Japanese general stated the American troops\' ability to concentrate artillery fire on a given point was a tremendous advantage.
We traveled to the right flank, left flank, up front and to the rear areas to keep our telephone lines functioning and all our artillery and infantry in constant communications.
As a telephone lineman for the United States Marine Corps, I had the greatest opportunity to see more of the Combat area than most participants.
I choose instead to tell of my life as a Private, a grunt if you will, and how this life impacted on me.
Tomes have been devoted to this subject.
I decided not to get mired in the horrors or waste of war.
By choice, chance and God\'s hand, I survived some extremely trying times in the Marine Corps during World War II
