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WWII USMC 7th Marines WIA Okinawa


ww2marine
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This group belonged to Lowell Summer from Waseca, Minnesota. Summer was working for the Enumont Canning Co. when he left for boot camp on June 15th, 1944. He had a preference for the Engineers but the Corps gave him the next best job. He was trained as a Flame Thrower Operator earning the MOS-781. By November 11th he was sent to the Pacific to meet the 1st division on Pavuvu. On January 2, 1945 he joined up with his combat unit- Hq Co. 3rd Battalion 7th Marines. After landing on Okinawa April 1st, 1945, the 1st division succeeded in cutting the island in half and made their way north alongside the 6th division destroying Japanese opposition as they encountered it. By early May the 1st and 6th division were called south to hopefully break the stalemate along the Shuri line. On the evening of May 10th the 1st division relieved the army's 27th division. The plans for May 11th was the assault and capture of the formidable Dakeshi Ridge by the 7th Marines. The Japanese on Dakeshi Ridge sought to take the initiative, and around 0500 on May 11th the they opened up on the 7th Marines with heavy machine gun and mortar fire. 3/7 took the brunt of the attack suffering many casualties. Summer was struck in the face with a mortar shell fragment and immediately pulled off the line. On May 12th he was loaded aboard the USS Bottineau and sent back to the hospital at San Diego. Summer spent the next 5 months in recovery. In November, Summer was sent to Parris Island and trained as a Rifle Marksman instructor. He was then sent to Great Lakes were he held that job until his eventual discharge on May 17th 1946.

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Thanks fellas. Kurt, interesting he lived so close to you. He did indeed marry his sweetheart Donna in August of '44 on furlough. I think she is the gal on the left in this pic.

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Kurt Barickman

Ill get to their county history museum this summer and I know I can dig more information up there about him; I have researched there before.

Kurt

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  • 3 weeks later...

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