A/1/11 Peleliu & Okinawa Vet Grouping

1,342 · January 17

Picked up this awesome grouping ID'd to Cpl Thomas Clemons who was a Field Linemen (641) with Alpha Battery 1st Battalion 11th Marines (A/1/11) and fought on Peleliu and Okinawa. As a Field Linemen he would be responsible for running wire between the gunline, fdc, and other supporting units to ensure critical comms were up. After the war he served occupation duty in China with A/1/11 helping disarm and repatriate the remaining Japanese forces and guarding critical railroads and factories from communist forces. He was discharged on March 10th, 1946 then a year later rejoined on Feb 28th, 1947 and served one more enlistment post war stateside where he seems to have been bored with peacetime duties and got into trouble multiple times resulting in a court martial, reduction in rank, and being put on bread and water. He would eventually make it back to Cpl and was honorably discharged for the final time on Sep 2nd, 1951. He passed away at the age of 71 on April 21st, 1998 and is buried in Hebron, Maryland. The following is a full write up of his career if you wish to read.

Cpl Clemons was born on July 15th, 1926 in Greensburg, Indiana and on October 13th, 1943 he enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Upon enlisting he went through bootcamp and various comms/signals schools till June 1944 when he was sent to the fleet and joined the 75mm pack howitzer battery A/1/11 on Pavuvu who were now veterans of the Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester campaigns. For the next 3 months A/1/11 trained in preperation for their next campaign, which would be one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, Peleliu.

On Sep 15th, 1944 the 1st Marine Division landed on Peleliu. A/1/11 landed on Orange Beach 3 along with 7th Marines and by nightfall on D-Day all of 11th Marines made it ashore and registered rounds. On Peleliu Cpl Thomas would be responsible for running wire between the gunline, fdc, and other supporting units, many times I'm sure in open fire, to ensure the divisions critical comms were up. A/1/11 shot insupport of 1st Marines and for the first 2 weeks of the battle the Marines artillery was used in the traditional sense with indirect mass fire. But after it was realized that the Japanese were to dug into caves and the batteries rounds couldn't reach them indirectly it was decided to use the howitzers more upclose and personal. The 11th Marines howitzers were placed into strategic positions were they would then shoot direct fire into the mouths of caves in the hopes of killing its occupants, they would often do this within only a couple hundred meters, if not closer. With the Marine infantry taking heavy casualties it was decided that artillerymen not needed on the howitzers would become Infantrymen and fill in the gaps along the lines. Thus earning the Marine artillerymen on Peleliu the nickname "Infantillery". Cpl Williams would be engaged in combat on Peleliu till Sep 29th then on Oct 2nd, 1/11 along with 2/11, 1st Marines, and the First Tank Battalion departed Peleliu for the Russel Islands. The 75mm pack howitzer had not proven to be effective against enemy's located in caves on Peleliu, thus the decision was made to only have 1/11 be the only 75mm pack howitzer Battalion in 11th Marines after Peleliu. After the Battle Of Peleliu A/1/11 would return to Pavuvu in the Russel Islands on October 12th along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division. For the next 5 months Cpl Clemons and A/1/11 would rest, recuperate, and begin training in preperation for the 1st Marine Divisions final objective of WW2, Okinawa.

On March 27th, 1945 A/1/11 sailed from Ulithi Island in the Western Caroline Islands and landed on Okinawa on April 1st, 1945. The division had such little resistance from the Japanese that the infantry was moving to fast for the artillery to keep up. So on April 2nd it was required for all of 11th Marines to displace, especially 1/11 because their 75mm pack howitzers couldn't reach the units they were supporting. The XXIV Corps in the south had it alot worst than the 1st Mar Div, so on April 9th the 11th Marines were moved south to join the XXIV corps and provide artillery support for the Army divisions. The 11th Marines helped the Army push the Japanese farther south and on April 27th the rest of the 1st Mar Div was attached to the XXIV Corps to help aid the Army and relieved the 27th infantry divsion who had taken a beating during the battle.The 1st Mar Div was returned to IIIAC control on May 8th and remained in the south. On the morning of May 11th the seizure of Dakeshi Ridge was scheduled to take place, with the 11th Marines supporting 7th Marines in the operation. But the Japanese had attacked the Marines before the operation could commence. The Japanese assault was repelled, largely because of a heavy volume of accurate fire from the 11th Marines. The operation was then able to begin on time and for 8 days the 11th Marines fired for the 7th Marines while they fought to take hold of the ridge, on the 19th of May the 7th was finally relieved from the ridge. One of the greatest victories for artillery and naval gunfire on Okinawa occurred on May 26th. A naval gunfire air observer spotted a few hundred Japanese soldiers walking down a road who were actually apart of a planned withdrawal. Naval vessels, and all available artillery, including every unit of the 11th Marines, fired on that area and on the towns of Zahana, Gisushi, and Dakiton, where enemy troops were sheltered. This onslaught of fire resulted in the loss of 3,000-4,000 Japanese lives. The 11th Marines, as they had on Peleliu, often used direct fire on Okinawa to drive out/eliminate Japanese in caves. 1/11 alone fired 100,330 rounds as compared with the 120,000 round total of the whole 11th Marines on Peleliu. These numbers are indicative of the great amount of work accomplished by the artillerymen in this campaign, especially because the 75mm pack howtizers were used only very sparingly against enemy in caves. Cpl Clemons continued to fight on Okinawa till the battle ended and remained on the island till Japan had surrendered and the war was over.

Following Japan's surrender the 1st Marine Division received their next orders and it wasn't to return home for rest and relaxation. On Sep 26th, 1945 A/1/11 sailed aboard the USS Burleson (APA-67) from Okinawa and disembarked in Tanku, China on Oct 4th. The 11th Marines, along with the rest of the 1st Marine Divison, mission in China was to help the Chinese disarm the remaining Japanese soldiers and repatriate them back to Japan. The Marines were also tasked with guarding railroads and lines of communication from disruptions by the Communists. The 11th Marines AOR would be Tientsin were they would be staying at the French Arsenal. During Cpl Clemons time in China he would receive his first disciplinary infraction due to being caught intoxicated while on duty on Nov 23rd, 1945. The 11th Marines stayed in China till Jan 1947. On Feb 9th, 1946 Cpl Clemons began his journey back home sailing aboard the USS Effingham (APA-165) from Tangku, China and landing in San Diego on Feb 26th, 1946. The following month he has honorably discharged from the Marine Corps on March 10th, 1946.

A year later on Feb 28th, 1947 he rejoined the Marine Corps and reenlisted out of Miami, Florida. He was still a Comm Marine being a Field Linemen (641) then Basic Communications Marine (2500). He was with the Post Service Battlion Marine Barracks Quantico Virgina from April 1947 - July 1947, then HQ Co. Service Battalion Marine Barracks & Marine Corps Schools Quantico Virgina from October 1947 - Jan 17, 1950, then CasCo HqBn MCS Quantico Va from Jan 18th, 1950 - sometime in 1950, then SigCo 2dSigBn 2dMarDiv FMF in Camp Lejune from Oct 3rd, 1950 - July 1951. Upon returning to service Cpl Clemons received his promotion to Cpl, but that wouldn't last long. During his peace time service he would receive multiple disciplinary infractions, getting court martialed, being put on bread and water, reduction in pay, and loss of rank. From unauthorized use of a gov vehicle, drunk and disorderly on liberty, to getting caught sleeping on duty. He would eventually make it back to Cpl and was honorably discharged for the final time on Sep 2nd, 1951. He passed away at the age of 71 on April 21st, 1998 and is buried in Hebron, Maryland.