Trip to Palau and Peleliu

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The other not sure as the upper works is gone. Could be a -1, the Marines used many of these as ambulances to pull wounded from the front lines. They carried a doctor and three corpsman.

[zuluhour]

don't forget the fish pics, I'm not only a gamer.[;)]

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Some fish coming soon once we start diving.

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

don't forget the fish pics, I'm not only a gamer.[;)]

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With in sight of the two LVT's we see another. an American Marine LVT(A-1) tank, with a 37 mm gun. Notice the dark hole upper right on top of the stairs....something is there.

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They provided fire support during the landing and inland.

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The crew exploring

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up the stairs

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a cavern that housed a 200 mm Japanese coastal defense gun.

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There is some debate whether this gun was ever fired.

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Me working my way around through the tunnel(short)

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There are trails to, and behind, the gun emplacement, Jerry wanted to move on so couldn't explore(this time)

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We now traveled a bit and found the First Division Marine Memorial near Bloody Nose Ridge.

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The first regiment of the First Marine Division (American) was decimated during the fighting for Bloody Nose Ridge.

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Off in the distance you see some of the ridge and valley

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Not sure of this pic but it is Peleliu.

The guide on our first trip talked about people he has taken there, including the commander of the Marines who was there at the time of the battle. LVT flamethrowers were used to seal up Japanese caves in the cliffs. More often than not, Japanese soldiers were entombed in the caves. Jerry told us that when he escorted the commander of that battle, Everett Pope, back to the site of the battle, he was in tears as he remembered the heroics of his men. Pope was awarded the Medal of Honor: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commanding Officer of Company C, First Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu Island, Palau Group, on 19–20 September 1944. Subjected to point-blank cannon fire which caused heavy casualties and badly disorganized his company while assaulting a steep coral hill, Captain Pope rallied his men and gallantly led them to the summit in the face of machine-gun, mortar, and sniper fire. Forced by widespread hostile attack to deploy the remnants of his company thinly in order to hold the ground won, and with his machine-guns out of action and insufficient water and ammunition, he remained on the exposed hill with twelve men and one wounded officer, determined to hold through the night. Attacked continuously with grenades, machine-guns, and rifles from three sides and twice subjected to suicidal charges during the night, he and his valiant men fiercely beat back or destroyed the enemy, resorting to hand-to-hand combat as the supply of ammunition dwindled and still maintaining his lines with his eight remaining riflemen when daylight brought more deadly fire and he was ordered to withdraw. His valiant leadership against devastating odds while protecting the units below from heavy Japanese attack reflects the highest credit upon Captain Pope and the United States Naval Service.”