Marine Honors for Daddy

E-mail from John Wheatley, III
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 22:43:22 -0600

Daddy was a hero to all of us throughout his 82 years and we're all very proud of him. During those 82 years, he spent 2 years serving in the United States Marines as a "machine gunner", which was a very critical and valuable assignment during the many combat missions that he participated in.

Daddy served in 1944-45 and was involved in lots of fighting at Okinawa, where the Japanese military made a very fierce and determined "last stand" near the end of World War II. The fighting was easily the bloodiest and deadliest of the war and it lasted for months, but our troops were victorious and we were very fortunate that Daddy was one of the few in his group to survive and return home to become our father and hero for the rest of his life. He also served in Tsing Tao, China guarding Chang Khi Chek supply depots during the Japanese surrender process at the end of the war before finally coming home to Tennessee.

Although his service as a Marine involved only two of his 82 years, it is appropriate to honor him for that service and sacrifice as we mourn his death and celebrate his life. You may not be aware of the internet website that has long served the soldiers and their families of the 6th Marine Division, but I've been visiting and benefitting from that site for years now and utilized that resource to research and learn more about Daddy's military service. The site also helped me to locate Marine videotapes from the time when Daddy was fighting in Okinawa and a "yearbook" type of book that's all about the Sixth Marine Division in which he served. We gave him these items and lots of Marine hats, clothes, etc. in recent years, and I'm proud that he enjoyed and took pride in those items.

Since this website is pretty much the home now of the surviving soldiers and their families from those days, I have posted an appropriate entry on their forum to honor Daddy and his fellow Marines on behalf of our family and I encourage you to check it out if you like. I think Daddy would approve of this matter and would take pride in knowing that he is memorialized to his fellow Marines today in the best way I know to reach them at this point in history.

Please take time at your convenience to explore this web site and it's many links to learn and appreciate more about the great sacrifices that Daddy and his fellow Marines made in order that we might enjoy freedom as Americans.

To see my posting about Daddy, go to: http://www.sixthmarinedivision.com/

and click on Forum in the top right corner of the home page....the posting should be near the top.

See me for lots of other websites that tell in great detail about the battles that Daddy helped to win in Okinawa.

I love all of you and I look forward to seeing you very soon.

Love / John