3rd Marine Division Uniform Alpha Demolition Expert Battle encounts. Fought on Bouganville Guam and IWO JIMA

[Raidercollector]

Marine uniform to 3rd division demolition expert and rifle man. Fought on Bougainville ,Guam and Iwo Jima. Here is His recalling the horror that was Iwo Jima , Former Taunton resident recounts battle few can’t forget. Conroy was crouched down in his fox hole some where on the island of iwo jima. Waiting orders o advance towards a well-entrenched Japanese army. His Job was to destroy enemy fortifications., Mr Conroy was a member of the 3rd Marine Division which was hit the island Feb 22,1945 to back up the 4th and 5th divisions. His unit would suffer 5,569 causalities – 1,131 of his comrades would die on the island., including two close friends. Mr,Conroy was 25 year old Marine corporal when he hit the beach at Iwo Jima ,He was a demolition expert and had survived a tour of duty that included service on Bougainville, Guam and Guadalcanal. He had been under Hostile on. fire and was injured when a piece of concrete from a bunker he blew up hit him in the back. He endured jungle fever, monsoons earthquake and a volcano eruption. He helped free civilian prisoners on Guam, But nothing could prepare him for Iwo jima . As for the battle on Iwo Jima. Island Nightmare . the island battle raged from late February through early march 1945. Japanese were ensconced in labyrinthian caves dug originally to mine sulfur on the otherwise barren island ,any attempt at advance was met with murderous fire. Just getting in Higgins boats was dangerous ,he said ,He had guys getting crushed between the Higgins boats and the ship,Guys would break there arms and legs. Once on the Island his Unit was pinned down by enemy fire for six or seven days, he said. When it finally moved,they moved up hill in to the mouth of the caves which could be aptly described as the jaws of death. Flame throwers led the way to push the Japanese defenders deep into the mines for cover. The caves soon became tombs. Wrestling with 125-pound blocks of TNT and covered by rifle company , His Unit and many others like it, set up explosives near the mouth’s of caves and blew them up. Sealing the fate of thousands of Japanese soldiers trapped inside. They said they took 1000 prisoners , But he said he did not see any live ones . He bet that 19,000 were buried alive in those caves., Nighttime meant ducking in a fox hole , desperately needing sleep but unable to get any with bombs exploding and vision of death invading attempts at sleep. Flares constantly burst over head and enemy shells landed all around,which he said. Made it look like a million stars out there.,We hated night ,we didn’t know what sleep was, he said. Mr conroy lost many friends in battle. When the marines planted stars and stripes on top of Mt Suribachi He said they were on top. Mr, conroy spent a year in the Naval Hospital at new port R.I. after the war recovering from infections derived from shrapnel wounds, Mr Conroy all so suffered from PTS. He was from Free town Mass.

[Raidercollector]

He is on the right

[Raidercollector]

His memories.

[Raidercollector]

He is in the front row on the right kneeling.

[Raidercollector]

The uniform and documents came right from his estate. The uniform is named to him. Just need to find his ribbons.

 

 

Nick

[jeremiahcable]

I was wondering who had paid such a hefty price for this grouping. Good to see that it is being kept together and cared for.

[Raidercollector]

Jeremiah

They do not come like this often, Very hard to fine with doc's and photos.

the price i think was not that bad.

 

Nick

[Lucky 7th Armored]

Nick, I was runner up on the auction. Im not surprised it went for the price it did! Congrats to you on such an awesome group!

[Raidercollector]

Will have to get his file, Should be interesting.

 

Nick

[mes]

Nice one Nick. I agree Photos and documents make the group. Sometimes you have pay up for them.

Mark

[Raidercollector]

Thanks History Buff.

I was all so wondering who was the second bidder.

 

Nick

[Raidercollector]

Kevin you should like this one. Don't know his company yet.

 

Nick

[Raidercollector]

In his recounts of battle he was wounded by shrapnel . Does not state on his discharge or in the casualties lists. I,m sure it will be his file. Because he said he received the purple heart.

 

Nick

[Raidercollector]

Here is the Guam Citation that came with the group.

[huntssurplus]

Great uniform! Thanks for sharing!

Hunt

[BagmanL6]

That picture of the field expedient gym is priceless and timeless.

[katieony]

Nick,

 

Another nice addition to your top-notch collection...congratulations!

 

Mike

[sfcmac]

Maybe I missed it, but what company and regiment was he in?

[Raidercollector]

Maybe I missed it, but what company and regiment was he in?

 

From ancestry H& S Company 21st Marines

 

Nick

[doyler]

Very nice Iwo group

[sundance]

Great group. I agree the photos and paperwork make the group. I have a few named items that I'd love to match with a face.

[Raidercollector]

Thanks for the nice comets.

 

Nick

[ww2marine]

In his recounts of battle he was wounded by shrapnel . Does not state on his discharge or in the casualties lists. I,m sure it will be his file. Because he said he received the purple heart.

 

Nick

That's a great group Nick. I was wondering who won that. As you stated, their will probably be a PH citation in his file. I just received the file of one guy and finished researching another who received wartime PH's that don't show up in the NARA casualty lists.

[ViewfinderGyrene]

Excellent group as always, Nick. Semper Fi to him as we continue the Iwo 73rd Anniversary...

[KRIS FORD]

NICE!

 

My grampa was a Higgins boat LCVP coxswain (in 1952-5)..and he saw guys get crushed then too..very dangerous indeed!

 

His ship was actually at Iwo..APA-160 USS Deuel...landing the 5th Marine Division:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Deuel_(APA-160)

 

It was decommissioned after WW2, recommissioned in 1950.