Pfc. Richard King Chronicles the Fighting on Saipan and Okinawa in a Graphic Letter to His Parents

Almost ten times larger than Iwo Jima with five times as many defenders, Okinawa represented the final major showdown of the war. American troops stormed the island’s beaches early on April 1 (Easter Sunday) encountering—much to their astonishment—scant resistance, and they advanced for five days essentially unimpeded. It was a trap. On April 6 the Japanese, having drawn the Americans inland, launched a massive counterattack from all directions. Kamikaze planes rained down on U.S. warships off Okinawa’s coast, and concealed machine guns and artillery opened up on U.S. ground forces. Ambushed by Japanese soldiers hiding in caves, the Americans began flushing them out with grenades and incinerating anyone inside with flamethrowers. For two and a half months the savage fighting, including hand-to-hand combat, continued but, by June 21, the island was finally secured. Pfc. Richard King was sent with the Twenty-seventh Infantry Division to Okinawa after earning a Silver Star for gallantry during the battle for Saipan. (In preparation for the assault on the Philippines, the United States invaded Saipan in the Marianas in June 1944. An estimated 3,400 Americans were killed and 13,000 wounded.) King, twenty years old and a native of Muscatine, Iowa, sent his parents the following narrative detailing the bloodshed he had seen during almost two years in the Pacific.

Okinawa Island

Sept 8, 1945

Dear Folks,

We left the States, Dec. 14, 1943, on the luxury liner, Lurline. Arrived in Honolulu the 20th. We were in a replacement depot about ten days, then went to the Ranger (Refresher) school for a month, and joined our respective companies. Started training for Saipan, right away. Amphibious operations, rough training, and long hikes.

I went to Honolulu a few times, not much to do, went to Waikiki Beach, and other famous places.

On May 31, we got on transports at Pearl Harbor. (The Battleship, Oklahoma, had just been raised from the ocean, and was getting a paint job.) One week later we arrived in Eniwetok in the Marshalls, stayed one day, and continued to Saipan. On June 16th we dropped anchor off the coast of Saipan. As we drew close we saw enemy landing barges burning, live and dead Japs floating in the water. The navy was throwing thousands of tons of shells onto Saipan. In the afternoon at 3:30 we were told to prepare for debarkation, at 5:30 we went over the side into landing barges. We were on the water from 5:30 to 10:30, then headed for shore. About 75 yards from shore the barges grounded, and we waded shoulder deep to land. Just as we set foot on the beach, the Japs opened up with rifles, machine guns, and mortars, and we laid in the water on the beach, the rest of the night, waves washing over us, continually. At 4:30 next morning we moved to front lines, to relieve the Marine sector. That started our 23 straight days on the lines. At 7:00 we shoved off in the attack. That night was the most horrible, I will ever remember. The Japs pulled a banzai attack, before we could dig in. We had taken a hill, and they forced us to withdraw to safer lines so we could bring up supplies. Before we took the hill, we had a gigantic machine gun duel, and believe it or not, I went to sleep in No Man’s Land for 45 minutes.

When I woke up, the duel was over and 3 Jap guns knocked out. Our destroyers were throwing plenty of lead at a ridge, directly to our front. Then when we retreated from the hill, the Japs really cut loose, we were wading down the coast, and boys were being killed right and left. Mortar shells lit on their heads, and this really did something to all of us. Some boys were jumping into the sea, when their faces were blown away. Two of us, carried one boy back with us, and our aid man gave him plasma all night, but he died next morning. He had his jaw, tongue, and nose blown away. This is a horrible thing to write about, but people should understand what war means, then maybe they wouldn’t start another, so soon. They should be able to live together in peace.

To continue, it was late and we were tired as hell, but the order came through, “Get ready to move out.” We opened fire, and moved up the hill. The Japs moved back, and we started settling for the night. It was all coral, so that prohibited our digging in. We picked up coral rocks, to form foxholes. Finally, we just fell on the ground and went to sleep. All that night our artillery and navy guns pounded the hill. The Japs started using their famous knee mortars next morning. One shell lit behind me, about eight feet, shrapnel went all around me, and hit several boys. That was when I knew God would be with me. We had to fall back when they pulled a banzai attack. We were out of water, food, ammo, and there was nothing else to do, but withdraw. There was only one way to get out, we got into the water, and back down the coast, until at a safe distance to reorganize.

All along the beach, men were dying of wounds. Maybe you will think this is cruel, but I want you to know what it was like. Mortar shells dropping in on heads, and ripping bodies. Faces blown apart by flying lead and coral. It wasn’t a pretty sight, and I will never forget the death and hell along that beach. It rained all the night and mud was ankle deep. Our artillery fired all night, and we shoved off next morning. Our regiment (the 165th) took Aslito airfield from which B-29’s bombed Japan. This night passed uneventfully. Third day we were to clear out Magicienne Bay, where the Nips cut us off from our supplies. There were plenty of Japs there, and many of my buddies were killed and wounded.

That was another day that is burned in my memory. We were unable to bring up water or food, the night before. It was 120 degrees and we stayed on the coral, all day in the hot sun, and were slowly going crazy. I couldn’t open my mouth at all, my tongue was swollen 5 times its normal size, my throat burned to a crisp, and blood coming out of my nose and mouth. Below us about 15 feet was the sea and the water looked wonderful. About 5:00 we were pulled back for a rest, and met our supply jeep. There was plenty of water, and I drank a helmet full, and didn’t even notice it. We were supposed to get 3 day rest, but next morning we shoved off on a 7 mile hike to Mt. Topatchena. We were to relieve the Marines there. This was the 5 or 6th day and we were fagged. A lot of things happened then. My second scout and I moved out in advance. We came upon a Jap ammo dump and were fired on by a machine gun. We took up some very good positions facing down aisles between the rows of ammo. Every time a Nip came to get ammo, we let him have it. At this ammo dump, the fellow that sponsored me at Baptism was killed. He was a grand guy.

A few days passed, and we were up North and had them in one last pocket. On June 7th, they threw their big banzai attack of 9000 Japs on 4 companies of the 105 Infantry. This regiment did one of the most outstanding jobs in the Pacific. When they counted next morning, about 8000 Japs were killed. Nearly all the Americans were killed and lots of them were my friends. When they ran out of ammo, they used axes and their fists. Both Americans and Japs had axes buried in their chests, and stomachs.

You asked how I got the Jap saber. On June 8th, we were cleaning out caves, I was first scout on patrol, and moving down a valley of vines and coral. My second scout yelled to duck, and I turned around as I ducked. A Jap officer had the saber just ready to chop my head off. I knocked it out of his hands, and bayoneted him. That’s the story. Look at the nicks on the blade where my bayonet hit.

After the battle was over we went to Magicienne Bay for a rest. There was nothing restful about it, it was so hot, and Dengue fever broke out, everyone came down with it. Your body literally shakes to pieces, temperatures at 104. We lived like pigs, after it was over, we were forgotten entirely. We stayed in that place until we left Saipan.

Can you wonder why the Smalley twins said we were a tired, sick outfit when we reached Espirita Santos? The New Hebrides was heaven after Saipan. Really a swell camp area, in long rows of palms. We rested 2 weeks, then I got on Malaria Control Board. I did absolutely nothing and soon gained back the health, and weight, I lost. I had a jeep to go places, and had plenty of fun. Went to the Beach club every day, for ice cream and cokes. Meantime the boys were training for Okinawa. I missed out on all that training, being on Malaria Control.

On March 19th we left New Hebrides, and were in the Carolines, April 1. Stayed one day, shoved off, and landed April 8, on Okinawa, and moved inland to get straightened out, loafed around for a week, then moved up to front lines. Was there ten days. Took over in front of the little Siegfried line, and after plenty of casualties we broke the Western flank of the line and were relieved by the Marines. The night we were relieved, the Japs attacked and drove a full strength company back 500 yards. Our company was down to a handful. I had 4 men in my squad at the finish. One man was badly wounded and is in a Spokane hospital for 9 months. His wife had there marriage annulled. He was splattered all over Okinawa. One of my best friends died in my arms. He was hit in the chest by a knee mortar shell. I cried when he died. We had spent most of our time together and it hit me hard. I can’t describe the men that fought in this campaign. They are a great bunch, and wonderful friends.

I took over a squad that day. We got a few new men and they were scared plenty. They had seen this boy get killed, so I talked to them and they grew quiet. We had 16 men in the platoon after it was all over, that is 1/3 strength. The Marines relieved us, and that night, the Japs attacked and drove the Marines back over that hard won ground. We went back for garrison because we were so cut up. We rested a week, then started on the biggest mop-up, in the Pacific. Before the mop-up, my platoon went to Tori-Shima. The landing was unopposed and secured in a short time.

The artillery on Okinawa was terrific. Shells would hit, and bury you, or blow you out of your foxhole. The Catholic Chaplain was killed as he was blessing each foxhole. An artillery shell cut him in half at the waist.

The Japs stacked lots of Americans in a big pile, poured gas on them, and touched a match. These atrocity stories are true, not propaganda.

We had a medic in my platoon, whose home is in Brooklyn. He is one of the finest boys, I know. Afraid of nothing, and always there when you needed him. All the medics were swell, and did a wonderful job.

In both operations I knew that God was with me. I prayed every time I had a chance. Silent prayers. Most of the time, I had only time to say, “God be with me,” and then did my best. I had some close calls. Lost those chains on Saipan, and Okinawa. Both times I felt them break when bullets were singing pretty close.

That about tells you the story of the past 21 months. It has been a long time to be over here. Is it any wonder we were so excited when the news came over. I guess I cried and laughed at the same time. I want to get home to see all of you.

Your Loving Son,

Dick

With Okinawa captured, the United States was now in control of a formidable staging ground 350 miles south of Japan. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, leading all army forces, and Adm. Chester Nimitz, commanding all naval forces, prepared for Operation Downfall—the full-scale invasion of Japan. Dwarfing the D-Day landings at Normandy, Downfall would involve over 5 million troops. American casualties were estimated at 250,000 to one million with Japanese losses several times that. But as MacArthur and Nimitz huddled with their advisors to hammer out plans for a November invasion, a group of scientists in Los Alamos, New Mexico, were constructing a weapon so lethal it would change not only the course of the war, but human history.