Battle of Saipan: Beginning of the End

Another memorable battle that the Montford Point Marines were known for was the Battle of Saipan. The Battle of Saipan on June 15, 1944, marked the beginning of the end of World War II in the Pacific Campaign. This pivotal fighting resulted in an Allied victory and heavy casualties. The Battle of Saipan also marked the first time that African American Marines saw combat in WWII. Lamentably, mass suicides among the Japanese occurred in levels never seen before in modern warfare.


Saipan is one of the three largest Marianas Islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The other two are Guam and Tinian. Saipan was considered a prized possession because of its proximity to mainland Japan. Here, the United States forces would have access to the Aslito airfield to launch their sizable B29 bombers. History.com states that over 20,000 Japanese troops were part of a garrison on the island. Japan occupied Saipan since 1920. Without question Saipan was a valuable island; Japanese forces from the south would essentially be cut off from Japan once the US seized the highly desirable island.



Fast Facts*

Allies

• Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner
• Lieutenant General Holland Smith
• approx. 71,000 men deployed
• 3,426 Americans dead
• 13,000 wounded

Japan

• Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito
• Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
• approx. 31,000 men deployed
• 30,000 Japanese died (action and suicide)
• 20,000 Japanese civilians (action and suicide)

On the morning of June 14,1944, 8,000 Marines landed on the treacherous beaches of Saipan. The beaches were fortified with barbed wire placed by the Japanese defenders. Lying in wait for the 2nd and 4th Division Marines were trenches and machine gun posts. The Marines successfully established a beachhead with a width of six miles by nightfall. Viewing this, the Japanese Lieutenant General Saito decided to launch a counterattack at sea, called the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The move proved disastrous, as the Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and aircraft, rendering Japanese forces unable to become resupplied and reinforced. (historylearningsite.com.uk)




Montford Point Marines at Saipan
What were the early morning hours of June, 1944, like for a Marine first descending on the beaches of Saipan? 800 African African American Marines participated in combat for the first time in World War II. The first one of the Montford Point Marines to die was Kenneth Tibbs, an orderly to the 20th Depot Battalion commander. He was instantly struck shortly after landing the beach. Kenneth Rollock of Harlem, NY was a member of the 3rd Ammunition Company. According to historynet.com:

 "We got caught in the early part of Saipan in the Japanese counterattack. About a quarter mile from the beach, they came out screaming, and we just opened up. Anything moving we shot at."

 Rollock said later he would never forget the sound and sight of the enemy force closing on him and his comrades. (history.net)

Montford Point Marine Private Vincent Long of Hempstead, NY recalled: 

"There was one guy, I think his name was Tibbs, who was no farther from me to you,  All of a sudden, I realized he wasn't talking anymore. He'd been hit. I never saw him again. It was tough going and everything was coming down on us. I picked up a Browning automatic [machine gun] and started shooting like everyone else. Until then, I'd never had any one's blood on me before." (newsday.com)

 Montford Point Marines taking a break during the invasion of  Saipan. 
Source:archives.gov

Flamethrowers and Caves

Meanwhile, upon discovering that the Japanese could not be resupplied, General Saito had his men fight in mountainous areas of the island. The terrain of the island was a plethora of caves, which provided easy cover for the Japanese defenders instructed to fight to the end and not surrender. History.com.uk states that the American forces had to use flamethrowers to eliminate the Japanese from the caves. Flamethrowers was a new technology at the time.
.
History.com described the intense fighting around Mount Tapotchau, Saipan's highest peak. Battle areas were given names such as "Death Valley" and Purple Heart Ridge."

Japanese Family Holding in Cave
WWII lettersblogspot.com

Mass Suicides and Suicide Cliff

With the situation in Saipan basically grim, Japanese General Saito instructed his men to undergo the largest Banzai Attack in World War II. Thousands of soldiers participated in this assault along with Japanese civilians. Banzai attacks or charges make for imminent death. The assault lasted for fifteen hours and American forces were able to regain strength.

As the Americans were making significant progress on the island of Saipan, Japanese officials turned to the civilians and urged them under no circumstances to surrender to the American forces. Civilians were promised an elite status in the afterlife, raising their social class rank. The civilians of Saipan were told that the Americans would do heinous things to them if they surrendered, thus instilling fear. Emperor Hirohito made a direct order to the civilians to commit suicide, and approximately 1,000 Japanese can be seen in Army footage films jumping to their deaths off of cliffs, appropriately named "Suicide Cliff." By battle's end on July 9, 1944, Japanese leaders Saito and Nagumo both committed suicide.

Montford Point Marines Considered Marines

A vital and strategic battle, the Battle of Saipan proved to be monumental. It marked the beginning of the end of the war in the Pacific Theatre. 800 African American Marines, the Montford Point Marines, saw combat for the first time, and the first casualty was Kenneth Tibbs. 
Time's war correspondent in the Central Pacific, Robert Sherrod, wrote: "The Negro Marines, under fire for the first time, have rated a universal 4.0 on Saipan." 4.0 is the Navy's highest ranking. And Commandant of the Marine Corps, Lieutenant General Alexander A. Vandegrift  declared: "The Negro Marines are no longer on trial. They are Marines, period." (The Right to Fight)

 Staff Sgt Timerlate Kirvenand and Cpl. Samuel J. Love, Sr.They received Purple Hearts for wounds received in the Battle of Saipan Source: National Archives

The Battle of Saipan was the first time that flamethrowers were used to eliminate Japanese defenders from caves. Furthermore, the world was mortified to learn that thousands of Japanese civilians took their own lives by jumping off of "Suicide Cliffs." This was after a decree by Japanese Emperor Hirohito.

Japanese soldiers were bound by the honor code to die before surrendering. Many allowed themselves to be killed rather than to face shame. In fact, historylearningsite reports of holdouts who refused to surrender until December 1945--months after the war ended. News of the suicides disappointed the Japanese people. They thought the suicides represented defeat rather than "spiritual enlightenment." The Battle of Saipan indeed signified the beginning of the end of World War II for the Pacific Campaign.

Source:wwwcibmedia.com
Marines landing on the beaches in the Marianas.

What are your thoughts about the Battle of Saipan? Feel free to leave your comments in the comment section.

See Also: 
The Battle of Peleliu Originated the Thousand Yard Stare

Notes:
Banzai Attack-a mass attack of troops without concern for casualties; originated by Japanese who accompanied it with yells of `banzai'. Source, Freedictionary.com

Guy Gabaldon- Also noteworthy at the Battle of Saipan was a Mexican American soldier who was praised for his ability to speak Japanese. Private First Class Guy Gabaldon, of Los Angeles, spent part of his life with a Japanese family growing up, allowing him to have a familiarity with the language. Gabaldon effectively convinced 1,000 Japanese enemy troops to surrender, and he was later awarded a Navy Cross.

Navajo codetalkers were instrumental in directing naval gunfire onto Japanese positions.


Sources:

history.com
history.net
historylearningsite.co.uk*
militaryhistory.about.com*
newsday.com
Right to Fight

The Battle of Peleliu Originated "The Thousand Yard Stare"

For the longest time, Dorie Miller represented the lone figure when it came to African Americans in WWII history. Miller became a household name because of his heroic deeds at Pearl Harbor. I happened to watch the 1970 seminal film Tora,Tora,Tora with my father several months ago. With the exception of a non-speaking Miller grabbing a machine gun and spraying the Japanese, this was the extent of depictions of African American soldiers with a weapon. "There goes Dorie Miller," My father announced. If I blinked, I would of missed him.

 Montford Point Marines participated in amphibious landings throughout the Pacific. While my father was in the Marshall Islands, a battle that was significant to the Montford Point Marines History was The Battle of Peleliu. 

D-Day on Peleliu
Montford Point Marines participating in the landing of 1st Marine Division.
Source: npa.gov

From Right to Fight:

When the 1st Marine Division, on 15 September 1944, attacked the heavily defended island of Peleliu in the Palau group, the 16th Field Depot supported the assault troops. The field depot included two African-American units, the 11th Marine Depot Company and the 7th Marine Ammunition Company. The 11th Marine Depot Company responded beyond the call of duty and paid the price, 17 wounded, the highest casualty rate of any company of African-American Marines during the entire war. Major General William H. Rupertus, who commanded the 1st Marine Division, sent identical letters of commendation to the commanders of both companies, praising the black Marines for their "whole hearted cooperation and untiring efforts" which "demonstrated in every respect" that they "appreciate the privilege of wearing a Marine uniform and serving with Marines in combat."- The Right to Fight

Montford Point Marine Lee Douglas, Jr vividly recounted his time there:

"The Third day, we went ashore. We went ashore in the barges to beachhead. Because you must go in. You got to go in the barges and go in with your rifles and everything. The ammunition stuff doesn't take place until after you take the islands and settle. But you got go in to do that. Once you go into the Marines Corps, regardless of the assignment, you must learn the rifle, the pistol, the range, your combat, you have to learn all of that.You may be a mechanic, you may be a cook, but the rifle comes first. You must learn that part of combat. So whenever you get overseas, your second job, that's all becomes second, first becomes the rifle. The invasion is first. My company, when we went in, we went in with our rifles blazing. There is no second hand nothing. We had looked forward to taking the airfield in a day or two. And there was no such thing as that you know they were dug in. The enemy was dug in so strong until everybody was held up at the beach." -Men of Montford Point Marines

Medical Attendants at Rest, Peleliu, October, 1944
Source: Gutenberg.org

Another Montford Pointer Laurence Diggs* climbed caves to eliminate the Japanese defenders. Flamethrowers were used and contained the deadly chemical napalm. Oxygen was then removed from the fortified cave, rendering occupants unable to breathe and dead. Also, the intense, searing heat of napalm sticking to the skin caused its targets unthinkable pain and death. 


Coincidentally, "Thousand Yard Stare" was featured in Tom Lea's painting of Peleliu. Lea's subject was described poignantly:

“He left the States 31 months ago. He was wounded in his first campaign. He has had tropical diseases. He half-sleeps at night and gouges Japs out of holes all day. Two-thirds of his company has been killed or wounded. He will return to attack this morning. How much can a human being endure?”

Tom Lea "Thousand Yard Stare" Painting
Tom Lea.com

From that point on, the term "Thousand Yard Stare" was used to refer to the gaze of someone that had battle fatigue.  It is clearly a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Tom Lea was a war correspondent and witnessed first hand the carnage. The appearance in the soldiers' eyes prompted Lea to create this work after an assignment in Peleliu. 




Battle of Peleliu Key Points-

• One of the most fiercely fought battles of the Pacific War
• Began on September 15,1944 and originally thought to last only three days, ended in November
• 5,000 Marines wounded, 1,749 Marines Killed
• Montford Marines participated in the invasion as members of the 11 Marines Depot Company and 7th Marine Ammunition Company
• They supported the 1st Marine Division
• Part of the Palau Islands. Peleliu was important because it was needed to recapture to the Philippines
• The island had over 500 caves which served as forts for the well- dug Japanese. 
• Some 11,000 Japanese were killed, only 200 survived. The Japanese were taught to die before surrendering. 
• Included the Army 81st Infantry Division (additional facts from about.com)

Story after story emphasized the Montford Point Marines gallant actions. They finally earned the "right to fight" during the fiery battle of Peleliu. In fact, this battle would always be listed in the opening lines of Montford Point Marine history. They entered the brotherhood of United States Marine Corps with their amphibious landing in September, 1944.   

The phrase "Thousand yard stare" was introduced by artist Tom Lea. He painted a war weary Marine who endured unspeakable hell in this lesser known, but important Pacific World War II battle. "Thousand yard stare" marked a crucial intersection of military, art, and psychology and called attention to the effects of war on its combatants.

For a Video of the Battle of Peleliu click here.



Sources:
Battle of Peleliu- History.com
Men of Montford Point, Melton McLauren*
Right to Fight




See Also:

Capture of Peleliu Commandposts.com for Marine Dan Bankhead story of the Montford Points in The Battle of Peleliu. Bankhead was a former pitcher for the Marines Baseball Team. His team played against Montford Point Marines.

Dorie Miller: First African American to Receive Navy Cross

Born on October 12, 1919, Doris "Dorie" Miller (October 12, 1919 - November 24, 1943) became the first African American to receive the Navy Cross. Miller received this distinction for his act of bravery during Pearl Harbor.

discoverhawaiitours.com

Dorie Miller was the son of sharecroppers Connery and Henrietta Miller. He attended high school in Waco, Texas, and played fullback on the varsity football team. He was expelled from school due to fighting over racial insults directed at him. Dorie Miller enlisted in the United States Navy in 1939 where he became a Mess Attendant, Third Class. A Mess attendant prepares and serves food, and cleans for the sailors. Miller joined the Navy because he wanted to see the world. He was assigned to the USS West Virginia Battleship.

Miller had temporary duty on the USS Nevada battleship, and while there was sent to Battery Gunnery School. Miller returned to the USS West Virginia and became a heavyweight boxing champ in West Virginia, weighing in at 6'3'', 200 lbs. The sailor was then promoted to Cook, Third Class.

When Pearl Harbor was under attack,  Miller's battleship was bombarded by Japanese strikes. Because of his size and girth,  Miller was instructed to transport the injured shipmates to the quarterdeck* for safety. He was also ordered to assist the ship's captain, who was wounded in his abdomen by shrapnel. Captain Meryvn Bennion refused to abandon his post and ended up dying.

Miller's next instructions were to load the .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. He went beyond the call of duty and ended up firing at approaching Japanese planes. The Cook had now assumed a combative role. With the heavy damage inflicted on the USS West Virginia, the ship was sinking and Miller assisted with the evacuations.

 His feats became publicized and the nation became aware of this "Colored soldier's" actions. Of the 1,541 men on the West Virginia, 130 were killed and 52 wounded. Nine Japanese torpedoes struck the USS West Virginia ship, stationed in Pearl Harbor.

Senators James N. Mead (D-NY) recommended that Dorie Miller receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. John D. Dingell, Sr. (D-MI) did the same. The Pittsburgh Courier began a petition to send Milller to the Naval Academy. Many of the sailors received promotions after the attack; Miller did not.

The high ranking official who was against awarding Miller a Medal of Honor was Secretary of Navy Frank Knox. Knox believed that Miller did not deserve it. It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who approved the awarding of the highest medal awarded in the Navy, the Navy Cross. Dorie Miller received the Navy Cross on May 27, 1942 by Admiral Chester Nimitz.

Source: maritimetexas.net
Admiral Nimitz reading the citation before awarding the Navy Cross  to Miller.

Remarked Admiral Nimitz:

This marks the first time in this conflict that such high tribute has been made in the Pacific fleet to a member of his race and I'm sure that the future will see others similarly honored for such brave acts.

Admiral Nimitz's words did prove true. The Montford Point Marines received their Congressional Medal of Honor. In 2012. So Dorie Miller became the first African American to receive a Navy Cross for his heroism during Pearl Harbor. He had speaking engagements for war bonds and the Negro Press highlighted his deeds.

After the attack Miller was assigned to the USS Indianapolis and then the Liscome Bay. On November 24, 1943, off the Butaritan** Islands in the Pacific, Japanese torpedos struck the Liscome, sinking the ship. Dorie Miller's body was never found.


In 1973, the United States Navy commissioned a new frigate called the USS Milller. To name a vessel after a cook was monumental.  The late civil rights icon, Congresswomen Barbara Jordan (D-TX) was the guest speaker for the commissioning of the USS Miller. The ship saw active duty throughout the world until 1991. In 1995 the US sold the ship to Turkey who used it for parts and target practice until it sunk the ship in 2001.

Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
She was a civil rights and political icon.
Source:lbjlib.utexas.edu

Schools, housing and a US postal stamp in 2010 have been dedicated in honor of Dorie Miller's actions. The 2001 Pearl Harbor motion picture featured Academy Award winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the role of Miller. Miller, like the Montford Point Marines, has a ship dedicated to World War II heroism. He was the first African American to receive a Navy Cross for his actions during Pearl Harbor.

Source: Johnnywesthouse.com
WWII era Navy Cross

Source: Ussmillerde1091.com

*quarterdeck- upper deck of a ship, usually reserved for the officers

**Butaritan is located directly north of the Equator, not too far from the Marshall Islands in the Micronesian Region. It is part of the Gilbert Islands.


Sources:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq57-4.htm
http://bjordanarchives.blogspot.com/2011/11/veterans-day-2011-and-dorie-miller.html
http://www.greatblackheroes.com/government/doris-miller/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/ngbeyond/people/

The Indigenous People of the Pacific and Some History

When I mentioned to my dad about the policy behind the 51st Defense Battalion being sent to the Marshall Islands, he chuckled. He had no idea, but he was not surprised about the genetics reasoning. Nonetheless, some of the fiercest fighting in World War II took place in the Pacific Theater, and during the early years of WW II, the Japanese were winning. All Allied soldiers were needed to stop the Axis powers, and our civilian population did their part with war bonds, conservation, and support.

Source: archives.gov
Montford Point Marines on the beaches of Peleliu. Although not assigned to combat, these soldiers pitched in to help.

The Pacific enjoys many romantic connotations to many present day Americans. It represents a tranquil vacation paradise, and to a key television demographic of 18-49, the frequent isolated locale of the CBS reality competition show Survivor.

Furthermore, the Pacific Ocean represents one third of the earth's surface. It was explored by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who named it for its peaceful, tranquil waters. Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Legends and folklore add to the allure of the Pacific, along with its distinctive cultures, traditions, and various languages/dialects.

Many of the Survivor locales were in the Pacific. Can you guess how many?
Source: media.wths.net

There are three distinct classifications of the indigenous people that reside in the Pacific:  Micronesians, Melanesians and Polynesians. These distinctions were classified in 1822 by French explorer and naval officer Jules Dumont D'Urville. Like many categorizations based on explorers of centuries past, some of them are flawed. Nonetheless, these classifications are still used.

Source: hawaiiansaivus.org

Micronesia- Greek word, meaning small islands

Melanesia- Greek word, meaning, Black islands, named after its inhabitants

Polynesia- Many islands.

Judging from the map a majority of the islands are small and numerous. Additionally, the classification system does not take into account migration from remote small islands to larger cities, crossing geo-cultural regions and intermarriage.

Source: googleplus.com.
Young children from the Solomon Islands.

If you look at many of the pictures of some of the Pacific Islanders, you might notice that there is a segment of dark skinned people with blond hair. The blond hair is not from European blood, or hair coloring but rather an amino acid change in the TYRP1 gene. This change is unique to this group of people.

Source: media.npr.org
American soldier with Micronesian infant. The dying baby was  holed up in a cave with a Japanese soldiers.
Photo taken by famed Time photographer Eugene Smith 1918-1978.

Prime Minister Tojo sought complete domination of the Pacific. They believed that the natives were of a lesser race. Country after country fell to the Imperial Japanese. Power and the need for raw materials fueled their zeal for occupation. Despite the origins of its name, the Pacific was not a peaceful place during World War II.




Notes: Peleliu is a part of Palau. (See above map.) An intense battle lasted two months and resulted in a US victory. The Marines suffered heavy losses on this island. A tactic by the Japanese at this time was to hide out in caves to inflict massive casualties.

Oceania: Includes the tropical islands of the Pacific and also the countries of Australia and New Zealand.


http://www.infoplease.com/country/micronesia.html
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/pacific-ocean.html
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/05/case-closed-blonde-melanesians-understood/
http://www.mapsofworld.com/pages/fast-facts/australiaoceania/

Why the 51st Defense Battalion Were Sent to the Marshall Islands to Fight

"There were these guys from Chicago...they dated the young women from the islands. They had wigs and high heels sent in for these women to wear," my father explained when I was older. "All you could see were these women trying to walk around in those high heels, because they weren't used to wearing them."

Source:  http://miraimages.photoshelter.com

I pictured these young ladies teetering awkwardly in platform sandals in the sand. No nylons because nylons were rationed, the materials were needed for the war effort.  Some of American women's hosiery back then had seams on the back of their legs. Resourceful females would take eyebrow pencils, brown gravy, charcoal, etc. and draw makeshift lines on the back of their legs to give the allusion of seams. Special flesh colored make up was applied to look like nylon.

Source:matc.edu
Seamless hosiery. Nylons were needed to make parachutes.

The Marshallese were Micronesian in origin and migrated from Asia several thousand years ago. They were an island group that was (2,500) miles from Hawaii. Its inhabitants lived on the outer islands and atolls. The islanders survived on subsistence farming and fishing. Many had no electricity.

Source: nationsonline.org

Marine Major General Charles F.B. Price, in command of American Forces in Samoa had already warned against sending the African Americans there. He based his opinions on his interpretation of the science of genetics. The light skinned Polynesians, whom he considered "'primitively romantic" by nature, had mingled freely with Whites to produce a very high class half caste, and liaisons with Chinese had resulted in a very desirable type of offspring. *

Two Montford Point Marines Black Depot companies that were originally supposed to be sent to Samoa were sent elsewhere due to Major's genetics reasoning. The "infusion of Negro blood" was not desired.


Based on the Major's belief system, which incidentally was common during this time period, the 51st Defense Battalion were thought to be better suited in the Marshall Islands, since the darker population of Micronesians would not be intimidated by the intelligence of the African American Marines sent there. Major General Charles F.B. Price also postulated that  "the level of physical and mental standards among the Black islanders would be raised."



These considerations were similar to the displeasure of African American soldiers socializing with French women during World War I. In this case the policy was instituted to prevent liaisons with the lighter hued Polynesians in the Pacific. Hence the deployment to the Marshall Islands, where the natives had darker pigmentation.

Source: rmiembassyus.org
Residents of the Bikini Atoll during evacuation. The island became the site of Post WWII nuclear testing.

Source: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec5.htm

"Honor Comes From Death, Disgrace Comes From Surrender"

How do you get young Japanese men willing to die for their country during World War II? What makes a soldier, later known as a holdout, refuse to give up, even decades after war's end? What would be the explanation for extreme brutality and loss of significant lives in the Pacific?

Source: us.123rf.com

Bushido code
Answers to these pertinent questions lies within the medieval Samurai Warrior class and the strong code of Bushido. The Samurai Warrior class dominated the Japanese government and cultural landscape of the nation for centuries. Samurais occupied the upper echelon of Japanese society, and were admired for their  superior fighting methods that insured a safe and peaceful Japan.  However, this ruling class was abolished and Emperor Meiji became Supreme leader in 1868. Efforts then began to modernize Japan, but the Bushido belief system remained in place, since members of the samurai had a role in forming the government.

Source:amandatarziaads4horspestudioblogspot.com

The Bushido code advocated a lust for battle and under no circumstances should a soldier surrender. To serve dishonorably would be a travesty and major repercussions would transpire.


Shinto Religion
Additionally, the Shinto religion held 1) that the Emperor was divine and should be worshiped. 2) Japan was not merely land but created by a Sun Goddess. 3) Japan must rule and "extend its reach and enlightenment to less fortunate races." All members of Japanese society were expected to be adherents to this philosophy.

Source:  4bp.blogspot.com

Military Code
The strict military code for the Japanese Navy and Army issued in 1872 barred escaping or surrendering from the military. These were grounds for death along with disobeying military orders and conscientious objectors.

 Punishment was granted to a soldier's immediate and extended family members, just as during the Edo* period:  The crime extended to five generations and punishment to five affinal** relationships. 

Unsurprisingly, the first lesson that a Japanese student soldier learns is how to use his own rifle to kill himself if he was trapped in a trench or cave. These statements were attributed to Irokawa Daikichi, a historian drafted from the University of Tokyo to become a student soldier at Tsuchiura Naval Base. In the 1972 novel, Zone of Emptiness, author Noma Hiroshi recounts how the professional soldiers resented the student soldiers because of their perceived status in receiving higher education. The superiors believed that any corporal punishment would toughen the student soldiers.

A culture of extreme brutality was encouraged within the military itself. If a Japanese colonel was displeased with one of his majors it would not be unusual for the colonel to strike the offending major a blow across the face to reinforce his reprimand.The major chastised in this way would be expected to strike one of his captains who had incurred his displeasure. The brutality would be passed down the line from the Japanese officers to their own enlisted men who would then be expected to beat each other up. At the end of this chain were men perceived to be the lowest of the low, enlisted Koreans and Taiwanese, who receive the worst beatings. - From Pacific War.org

So, allegiance came from a combination of the Bushido culture and Shinto religion. Add this to a strong military history that advocated corporal punishment and you have a lethal cocktail for a massive war machine. There simply were no alternatives. Japanese soldiers were told that "Honor comes from death, disgrace comes from surrender."


   *Edo:  former name of Tokyo, also known as the period between 1603-1868.
**affinal: in-laws, relatives by marriage


http://www.pacificwar.org.au/JapWarCrimes/Explaining_JapWarCrimes.html

http://www2.gvsu.edu/walll/Japan%20NO%20SURRENDER.htm

10 Significant Imperial Japanese Events: 1925-1941

"It is Japan's mission to be supreme in Asia, the South Seas, and eventually the four corners of the world." ~General Sadao Araki*

Source: Flagspot.net
 Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Flag

The 51st Defense Battalion was sent to fight a formidable opponent. For years, Imperial Japan was stockpiling their arsenal, indoctrinating the nation, and preparing its warrior-like soldiers. I have included a brief list of 10 Significant Imperial Japanese Events: 1925-1941 in order for my readers to have a better perspective below:

1. 1924 -  Japanese Exclusion Act prohibited Japanese Immigration to the United State of America. Japan becomes isolated, and the ABCD Powers--American, Britain, Chinese, and Dutch were viewed as threatening to the Japanese Empire.
2. 1925 - Universal Male Suffrage was introduced which meant that more men were eligible to vote in elections. Eligible voters went from 3.3 million to 12.5 million. This creates an opportunity to solidify the direction of the nation.
3. 1928-1932 - Japan's Depression and the Great Depression caused economic strife, along with social and political unrest. The military creates a livelihood for young men. Many soldiers were from rural, poor areas and were committed to the military's effort to expand Japanese territory and to achieve economic security. 
4. 1931- Army Takes Control and Evades Manchuria. The Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo was established. 
5. 1936 - German and Japan Sign the Anti-Comintern Pact. This was essentially an Anti-Communism treaty.
6. July 1937, Japanese Soldiers Invades Manchuria in China. They went on to invade Peking, Shanghai and Nanking, the former capital of China. 
7. 1940 - Japan Signs the Tripartite Pact. It is the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin-Axis agreement, where the countries agree not to "meddle" in each others military pursuits.  
8. 1940 - During The Second Sino-Japanese War massive killing, looting, and burning takes place.
9. In 1940, Japan Took Over French Indochina (Vietnam).This resulted in an oil embargo with Great Britain and the United States. Japan, needing oil to maintain its military prowess, then decides to invade the oil rich Dutch East Indies. (Indonesia)
10. Secret Attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941. The aim was to destroy the United States' naval vessels and to diminish the US presence in the Pacific.

These 10 Significant Imperial Japanese Events caused great concern throughout the world. Strategic and swift military action was taken after the secret attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan desired superpower status and was determined to weaken the West under the guise of protecting Asia. As stated previously, Japan desperately needed raw materials such as oil and rubber, commodities that were not found within its island nation. Fierce Nationalism propelled its war machine and was the catalyst to a brutality that surpassed World War I.


Sources: www.history.co.uk
www.nationalgeographic
www.nhmm.org

Source: ecsforum6wordpress.com
The boxed off area on the map was where 
the 51st Defense Battalion were stationed.

"They Don't Tell You Where They're Going To Send You, You Just Go!"

Well, the clamoring for dad's "missing" 51st Defense Battalion whereabouts, led to action. The Pittsburgh Courier's story reverberated across Black America. Members of the 51st were soon going to be deployed as a result of the story. Military officials, previously concerned about racial dissension in the ranks relented, and deployed my dad's unit.
                                                                                       **

"So dad, when you were in San Diego, did you know where they were going to send you?" I inquired. "No!"  my father answered in an irritated voice, as if I should have known better. "They don't tell you where they're going to send you, you just go!"

"They sent us to Ellice Island." I asked him how it was spelled, because it sounded like the "Ellis Island" in New York, the point of entry for myriads of immigrants into the United States. "It's an island off the coast of Australia and that is where we (The Marines) picked up and received our mail", my dad explained.

"We also ended up in Enewetok and Kwajalein." Dad pronounced these names with ease. I automatically remembered conversations from years ago that these were islands in the Marshall Islands.When I looked at a map, I saw tiny dots in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Marshall Islands were named after a British captain in 1788. They were previously explored by the Spanish in the 16th century. Germany unsuccessfully attempted to control the islands, but the islands utimately ended up in the hands of the Japanese in 1914.*

The Marshall Islands are located halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The Islands are considered a part of Oceania, and make up two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of small islets and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean.

The area is roughly the size of Washington, D.C. (181 km). Also, the Marshall Islands climate is tropical, hot and humid. Its wet season is May through November, with the islands bordering the typhoon belt. Finally, Micronesian peoples were the first inhabitants of the archipelago.**



.

Source: www. graphicmaps.com

Souce: wwwworldatlas.com

**

 June 27, 2012. It was the evening before the Medal of Honor Ceremony at the official Montford Point Marines hotel. Dad, normally a talkative character, was very nervous. I watched the older gentlemen meet and greet each other and exchange information. Some of the Marines already knew each other from their area Montford Point Marine Associations. My dad was standing in line and I watched as his doppelganger approached him. By doppelganger I meant someone of his exact stature and personality.

"Do you know who your commanding officer was?" A short, expressive man with a puffed out chest asked. My Dad could not remember his officer's name. "I don't remember his name, I'm eighty-nine years old", dad answered tersely. Both families of the men watched, amazed at the mirroring that was taking place. The two elderly men stood staring at each other for it seemed like eternity, and then sauntered on, chatting with other Marines.

 I then went to the wife of my father's "twin", and talked to her. I guessed her to be an educator, but was close. She worked with troubled female teens and her husband was a retired vocational teacher. We joked around a bit about her husband's and my dad's assertive personalities.The kind woman then set out to trail her feisty husband.  Her spouse reminded me of Adolph Ceaser, the actor that played an Army officer in A Soldier's Story, and the father of "Mister" in A Color Purple. In any event, the whole scene was indeed 'colorful.' The seriousness of the special occasion prevented a heated exchange.

Source: A 2bpblogspot.com
The late great actor, Adolph Ceaser

Some checking on my end  turned up some additional details, which I later shared with my dad: Colonel Samuel Woods, Jr., commanded the Montford Point Camp and formed the Battalion.Woods was its first commanding officer.Others in command were: Lt. Colonel William B. Onley, Lt. Col. Floyd A Stephenson, Lt. Curtis W. LeGette and Lt. Colonel Gould P. Groves. Source: Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in WWII Summaries, www.nps.gov.

So, from the time my dad was stationed in the Marshall Islands, he had a handful of different commanding officers. The 51st Defense Battalion, was originally supposed to be an infantry division. Their mission was to prevent the Japanese from furthering their aggressive military conquests. Thanks to the Negro Press, my dad would finally play a part in World War II.


Sources: * www.infoplease,** cia.gov