My name is John C. Pope and I’m a WWII, US Marine veteran. After more than six decades, battlefield memories of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima remain as vivid for me as if they took place only moments ago. Many historians have documented the strategies of these horrific battles and their impact on the outcome of WWII. Scarce are the stories from the men who did the actual fighting. Sadly, many of the men had no chance to write their story. Their stories ended instantly when they fell dead on a tiny Pacific island, worlds away from their home and loved ones. I’m 90 years old now and one of a dwindling number of survivors. I realize my story needs be told while I still have my health and a sound mind.
As I set out to write this I want to make clear I make no claim whatsoever to be a tactician or having the slightest inside information as to how battles were planned. Everything I write here is based entirely on my personal experiences and the experiences of privates and corporals who fought alongside me.
As I set out to write this I want to make clear I make no claim whatsoever to be a tactician or having the slightest inside information as to how battles were planned. Everything I write here is based entirely on my personal experiences and the experiences of privates and corporals who fought alongside me.
