This time each year my TR3A and Land Rover each carry a red poppy from
the mirror as does the picture of my father hanging in my bed room. He
enlisted in the Marines in 1941 on his 17th birthday and was stationed
in San Diego on 7 Dec. He was in the 2nd Marine division, and received
purple hearts on Guadelcanel and late in the Saipan campaign. Being 6
foot 4ish he made a large target. He was still home recovering from
the second wound on VE day and I remain thankful the the US never had
to storm the beaches of Japan proper. The 2nd Marine division was
scheduled to be one of the spearhead landing divisions. For planning
purposes it was assumed that by the third day the division would cease
to exist as a fighting unit. Likely I would not have had a father by
the time I was born.
Silly of me but I can not watch footage of 2nd Marine battles on TV
without looking for marine standing about a head taller than those
around him.
TeriAnn J. Wakeman
Marigold Ltd.
www.marigoldltd.com
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