WEBVTT

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The American front lines had advanced

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to Guam and Saipan . Ahead now stood

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Iwo Jima , the most heavily fortified

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island in the world . Buried deep

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underground lay 20 years of preparation

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for murder . 20,000 of their toughest

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fighting men waited for us to make the

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first move . I'm the great grandson of

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Colonel Justice M . Chambers who

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received the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima .

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He took command of 3rd Battalion 25th

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Marines , uh , just prior to to landing

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on Iwo Jima .

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When they landed on Iwo Jima , they

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landed on the right flank of the island ,

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so over by the rock quarry . Basically

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the rock quarry on the right hand side

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uh was perfect machine gun position .

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Anybody landing on that beach was at

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risk of being annihilated by mass

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machine gun fire .

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It took them 8 hours to move just 200

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yards . By the end of the first

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day , they had lost more than 50 of

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their officer corps and more than 500

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enlisted personnel . 3:25 landed that

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day , they were met by fierce enemy

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fire . They had to fight for every inch

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along the way . Every gain that they

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made was paid for in blood , sweat ,

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and tears . But they continued to fight .

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They continued to make progress inch by

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inch . On the 3rd day , uh , he was

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directing rocket fire against machine

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gun nests . He was

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literally picking Lance Corporals up by

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the collar and directing rocket fire as

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battalion commander on the front line .

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That's when he was hit with machine gun

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fire . He was immediately evacuated and

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this time was not allowed to return .

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Had they not been able to seize that

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key maritime terrain , the entire

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landing at Iwo Jima would have been

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held at risk . For his actions on Iwo

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Jima , he was later awarded the Medal

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of Honor by President Truman , and he

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was lucky enough to have his entire

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family present with him .

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I grew up with bedtime stories my great

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grandfather and the Marines in the

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Pacific . History is important . When

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we look at the battles in the Marines

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of the past , they give us clues of

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what we can do in the future . Marines

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fight one in the past . Marines will

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continue to fight and win in the future .