Brave Marine Reveals True Horror Of Fighting The Japanese At Okinawa | Remember WWII
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
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Russell Nelson witnessed first-hand the realities of World War II on the infamous battlegrounds of Okinawa and Peleliu, in the Pacific.
As a young man Mr Nelson signed up with the Marines and was posted, via Australia, to the Pacific Theater. What followed was a fierce campaign of island-hopping by the US military, driving the fierce Japanese forces back towards their homeland.
In this interview Mr Nelson recounts in great detail what it was really like to fight on the front lines in World War II, recalling stories of friends, of great comradeship in the most extreme circumstances, and of the brutal, horrific realities of the war in the Pacific.
Thank you Mr Nelson for sharing your remarkable story with us.
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Remember WWII a mission to interview WWII heroes daily, to raise awareness of their enormous sacrifices, and to provide a proper in-depth filmed interview of their experiences in WWII. We will preserve and catalog these interviews, so that future generations can learn of the sacrifice made by so many, to grant us so many of the freedoms we enjoy today.
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Thank you for taking the time to hear about the remarkable war service of Mr Nelson. We are deeply appreciative of his time, his openness, and good humor in sharing with us these unimaginable stories.
Recording these interviews is an expensive endeavor. We rely on the generosity of people who support our shared mission to interview as many World War II combat veterans as possible, and to preserve their testimonies for future generations.
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I have gone down a rabbit hole watching these videos after learning this week that my father, a USMC tank commander is in a famous clip "Death of a Tank" in Okinawa on May 10th 1945 @ Sugarloaf. He was 1 of 2 that survived when his tank rolled over a mine. My father passed away 20 years ago but seeing him walk across the screen @ 22 years old was very emotional. My family was contacted by a gentleman that is writing a article for Leatheneck magazine who was able to identify the crew by an exhaustive search at the national archives. He has also supplied a phenomenal amount of information about my father, his crew and the official reports of the incident along with my fathers full service record. The 3 Marines that died in his tank are buried together at the National Cemetery in Omaha Nebraska. Im now planning a trip to go pay the respect that my father always wished he could have done. God Bless these men that fought, sacrificed and died for this wonderful country. Thank you for making these videos and preserving the history of American heros.
Wow. Is there a link you can share. Your father and his crew are true American heroes.
Thank you for sharing your story as well
My Dad was on both Peleliu and Okinawa and was a Cpl. in the 1st. Mar. Div. and I can’t remember if it was Peleliu or Okinawa but I think it was Okinawa and he drove onto a landmine that blew one of the tracks off of his Amtrac and he was able to detach a track off of another disabled Amtrac and was able to repair his.
I remember him telling me about crossing a high viaduct on Okinawa and with all of the heavy combat he was involved in on Peleliu and more on Okinawa, he said for some reason that scared him so bad because he only had about 1 foot on both sides of the Amtrac and if you made a mistake, down you’d go.
All of these old Marines really went through some of the most savage combat in WW2 and I’m glad they’re finally getting more recognition for what they went through and what they accomplished.
My father was wounded on May 10th he was a frontline marine rifleman wonder if it was the same assault as your fathers tank was involved in ?
I've seen this, it was so terrible to watch, God bless
Semper Fi my dad was spearhead 5th marine division iwo jima. Purple heart. Age 17. Sniper shot in hips from the back during a long march. He said he was so numb from the march he didnt feel it until he wasnt walking. He got to see the flag raise on sarabachi . He was a big broad shouldered man with a bass voice and piercing brown eyes, a crack shot, he taught all his girls to shoot, ride and... Always be kind and love books, history and vets. He was a friend to many, accepted all types to shelter when needed or just sit under the willow and tell a story---and had humor under his stoic exterior. He left the war with one testical, fathered 8 and raised 14. Comander of fhe VFW until his death at age 60. Heart attack.
He was a horseman and cowboy from ky and wv. W cherokee blood, a cowboy and played banjo dobro and blues guitar. He died on a 3 day horse ride in ky__retracing the ride of a female civil war spy that he had ridden for 18 years. He went the way he wanted to.
Our entire childhood was with vets and their families during nam. A time of too many funerals. I ended up marrying a USAF NORAD AWACS vet😊 protective of us girls, my hubby of now 42 years was the only boy who withstood dad's narrow stare while he cleaned his nails with a buck knife, or just happened to leave his bullseye papers out from shooting matches when Luther was coming up. Lol. He ended up loving the city slicker. My son has his middle name which he shared w my grandpa. Actually given the size of our family 4 boys ended up with it😊
As a doc, I have had the honor of taking care of many WWII vets over the past three decades... Fewer as time has marched on. One that sticks vividly in my memory is a man who had been a landing craft pilot/driver on D-day telling me with tears in his eyes about having to drive his craft over soldiers struggling in the water in order to disembark his soldiers... He had never told anybody about this, and I can only imagine the amount of pain that so many men have carried to their graves as a result of doing their duty.
Yeah right tramp, good old as a doc
Thank you for sharing this difficult story, and thank you for your own life of medical service! Truly our greatest generation
Thank you sir
Oh god I can’t even fathom
Man this hit me so. Made me choke up
The Greatest Generation Marines were the Greatest. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sergeant.
I was in the Corps from 1964 to 68. It was the best thing I ever did. I got a university degree using the GI Bill, and now get free Healthcare from the VA plus a tax free check from the VA for disability. Semper Fi, Sarge.
@Dr.Pepper001 You were in the Marine Corps before me. I served from 5Oct73 to 4Oct77. Boot camp at Parris Island Oct-Dec73, then on to Camp LeJeune Jan-Jul74, after then transferred to Okinawa Aug74 to Sep75 and back to Camp LeJeune Sep75-Oct77. Semper Fi Devil Dog
I served in the U.S. Navy. The Marines I encountered on my LST were the best Warriors on the Planet!
@MrShenyang1234 Thank you. My cousin (Navy Vet) reminded me that the Marine Corps is part of "The Department of the Navy"
My Grandfather was a medic in the ETO and served from '42-'45 without getting a scratch and had been awarded two bronze stars that I know of. I was so very fortunate to be close to him so I was about the only person he would ever tell his stories to. He mostly talked about the funny stuff but every once and awhile would talk about his combat experiences, including D-Day and wading onto the beach and how he helped set up a field hospital in an apple orchard surrounded by Germans (they had advanced too far). He would always end by saying ''Those poor boys". I ended up joining the Army in '99 and served until 2003 when I got hurt and couldn't serve anymore so I was finally able to really understand how my Grandpa felt in a sense. I miss him everyday. His brother, my great uncle is still alive and helped take part in the liberation of Dachau and has told me about that a bit. What a marvelous generation, so sad there are fewer everyday... Thanks for capturing their stories
Thank you for this comment and your grandfather’s service! I would be interested in learning more about the great uncle you mentioned…please email me at info@rememberww2.org
Thanks and GOD BLESS THE WWII Heroes
@ChemCram
I too joined the army in '99. Was stationed in Ft. Leonardwood then in Gettysburg PA. Where were you stationed at?
One of the best Japanese engagement interviews I have seen. His mind is crisp as a chip!
When he said he found out about the attack on Pearl Harbor in class it threw me off because it was Sunday on Dec 7th but I forgot for a second that in 1941 news didn’t get out as fast as now and it was most likely Monday Dec 8th and they found out through Roosevelt’s address. Hat is off to this Gentleman and all his buddies. 🇺🇸
Wonderful stories from a wonderful story teller. Thank you for your brave service. Semper Fi from a dog face soldier…hooah!
It happened Sunday morning, the whole country knew by that night through radio broadcast. And, everybody listened to the radio.
You could make a movie based on his personal experiences and it would have a large audience. I wonder if he and others like him realise how extraordinary and captivating his story is.
They have
Go watch “The pacific “
God bless guys like you. My dad served inWW2, korea, i served in Viet Nam, my Son srved in iraq and Afghanistan.You WW2 vets are heroes and saved the world.
These men are responsible for our freedom today. I salute you sir for my freedom.
Thank you Sir for your service to this country.
Brave young men thrown into an unimaginable situation. Thank you.
Thank you for providing this.
One of my grandfathers was too old for active duty and, I think, worked at the paper mill that was in our town. My other grandfather served with the USAAF as ground crew in England, but (for sufficient reasons) my family was not close to him, and I never heard any stories from him. However, I have a great uncle who drove trucks in France after the Normandy invasion -- I wish I knew more, but he died about 20 years ago. He and his wife were, at any rate, the kind of Americans Norman Rockwell tried to capture. None of us will see their likes again.
Thanks for sharing a little of your own family's war story. It's good to hear from people who value these testimonies as much as we do
I had a step grandfather that was part of red ball express, he drove trucks for rest of his life.
Mr.Nelson is a National Treasure. Thank you, sir. It is unimaginable what you faced. Your story has blessed me.
Thank you for telling your story along with your service, courage and sacrifice for our country and freedom ❤ God Bless you ❤️🇺🇸
This man's memory is incredible. I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday & here this guy can easily recollect events from 85 years ago. Very impressive! Thank God he survived. Thousands didn't.
Thank you for this interview I have huge respect for any war veterans.
Thank you from UK.
Thank you for taking the time to support our mission to interview these remarkable people, and to learn about the sacrifices the made
I had a secretary back in the early 1990s whis husband was also a marine during ww2 and was also a radio operator himself. His name was Claud Adkins. Tuff as nails. He fought on every island that this young man did. I was always honored to have him come into my store and hang out. He did contract malaria while there and had an awful problem with shaking because of it.
My step grandfather died before I was old enough to know anything and ask questions. He was 1st Cavalry and had a purple heart and I believe 2 silver stars and 3 bronze stars from the Pacific theater. People these days have no concept of what these young men did to secure our freedom.... And we have thrown it away. Bankers wars and Bankers games.... Learn from Gen. Smedley Butler
I was in the Navy, and I’ll tell You I LOVE The Marines. Fair Winds and Following Seas to all men and women who serve and did serve.
Navy is great. Real work in peacetime 🙏
They went through hell for us all . Thankful for it.
Heros all.
History of The "Old Breed"..Long Live the 1st Marines..Semper Fi...Till you die.
I’m amazed how well he speaks and remembers so well at his age. I’ve seen other interviews of ww2 vets and he’s just superb.
I remember being in health classes when the attacks of 9/11 happened. I was in the 10th grade. I graduated and then joined the army it was the worst decision I ever made. I will never forget it though.
I was starting senior year of college that day. Dropped out and enlisted, and yes it was a mistake. I wanted to go after al-Qaeda in Afghanistan... but they sent most of that generation to Iraq, and Iraq was a colossal screw-up at the upper policy level. I realized we couldve contained Saddam with just no fly zones, and Saddam wouldve kept out al-Qaeda because he didnt want competition for power. He wasn't going to hand power over to anyone. Our policymakers blew it.
Thanks for joining up and protecting our homeland. God bless you guys.
I didn't join but I do remember it I was in 3rd grade
SO SAD RIP TO THESE MARINES IN THE ISLAND CAMPAIGNS WERE BRUTAL
It's interesting that at around 34 minutes into it, he discusses how some of the close calls he had were just part of war. These things bothered him, but fortunately, he didn't get mentally messed up by it. He points out that the mind set was different back in those days vs. these days as a possible explanation.
That may be true. It's also true that some people in WW2 did get messed up bad. I've read many issues of news papers from the late 1940's and 1950's, and WW2 vets were often in the news for their mental break downs. Most people dealt with their horrible war experiences in private, or in their dreams, but some people were so troubled that their behaviors and actions made the news. They called it various names, but no one had invented the word PTSD yet. Now that we have a name for it, it's easier for a person or doctor to assign it as a cause of the trauma. It's possible that war still affects people just the same as it always did. We just don't hide it as much anymore.
PTSD was first known as Nostalgia.
More honor and bravery in this man's little finger than in all of Washington.gov put together
Amen to that !!
@@motodavid483Especially in Trump, a seven time draft dodger.
Tuning in from Brisbane. Thank you Sir
I joined the Navy in 1964. I was in the aviation section and got assigned to a squadron of about 75 men. There were two older guys, first class petty officers, who had been in the Navy for years. They were both veterans of Pearl Harbor. These men all seemed to have one thing in common, they were all gentlemen. They truly were the Greatest Generation. My uncle Joe went into the Army in 1940, serving in North Africa, Italy and Germany. He will always be my hero. He was a typical member of the Greatest Generation. I now feel so privileged to have know these men and even had the experience of serving with a few. Unfortunately, we are in an entirely different place now.
The old breed are amazing! I would let him lead Marines today. He's something else. Inspiring. Semper Fi brother.
A Very interesting and Honest account of His experiences in WW2 Many Thanks for Sharing His Story 👍
His actions and experiences could be turned into a movie script.
God Bless him and all who are alive and have passed.
Truly The Greatest Generation
My favorite interviewer of veterans on RUclips.
Nice job, as usual.
First comment. Wonderful channel.
Thank you!
Much respect to this veteran great interview .
SEMPER FI!!
Thank you for sharing this brave man's stories 🙏
Thank you for our Freedom because of what you did Mr Nelson My father was a Navy doctor on Guam and Okinawa.
My grandfather was a platoon leader in A company, 711th tank battalion during the battle of Okinawa. That man carried the horrors of war until the day he died. He would sometimes say he wish he had died there rather than live with the memories the rest of his life. As a young child and now an adult, I can't even comprehend the stories I overheard.
What a lovely old guy. I wish I could just hug him and kiss him on the cheek. xoxo
I appreciate that he pronounced 'Melbourne' correctly.
My job sometimes lets me speak to old WW2 vets like him. I always try to take some spare time to talk to them. But now I haven't seen one in a while. 😢
Incredible man.
Wow wot a life and the memories man wish he was ma Granda ld sit n listen to his stories all the time he’s the MAIN MAN ✊💥💥💥
There is really no way to really understand the hell these men went through, for any of them to come home with any semblance of sanity is amazing, God bless every man and woman of their generation that fought in that war.
My uncle MOE was in the South Pacific involved in many invasions , the family never bug him about the war with great respect . MOE was a great guy to around always in a great mood , when I saw MOE I wood always what’s up he would say nothin’ but the rent I love you MOE……….
Wish our troops were still like him. Wouldn't be in the position we are now if we did.
What are our troops like now? Really then, how many do you know? Have you been to a VA hospital and visited the pulmonology clinic, where soldiers who fought the Global War On Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to carcinogens and invasive particulate matter from burn pits? If you have, they will tell you what little treatment is available for their scarred and failing lungs. This exposure is at least as bad as what 9/11 first responders in NYC have dealt with, and for whom the utterly liberal Jon Stewart has tirelessly fought to have their conditions covered by Congress action, as opposed to the inaction preferred by GOP members. The same conditions which took the life of Hunter Biden's brother, Beau. And exactly what does the present state of the military have to do with the condition of this country? The problem is the ODEI, Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the DoD? As you likely don't know, it was originally established in 1971 as the Defense Race Relations Institute (DRRI). By deduction, then, the United States Armed Forces has consisted of nothing but snowflakes for over a half-century thanks to the squishes who make up the Deep State in the Pentagon. I'll leave it to someone else to invoke the favored MAGA curse, the "W" one they cannot define but is the past tense for the antonym of "asleep."
@@jefferyroy2566 Our troops are just like our populace. Overweight, mentally ill, inner city gang bangers looking to apply the trade, and social outcasts with issues relating to others. Every troop I do know or young vet is beyond damaged bordering on dysfunctional. You can be mad, but facts are facts. I am constantly appauled by the cowardice I see around me on a regular basis and know that the American soldier is weaker than their foreign counterparts. I could have enlisted post 9/11 but even at 17 I knew it was a lie and killing poor people in a desert was a bad plan. So I didn't. The American millitary has been quietly clearing ground for global communism under false pretenses. They are heros though right? My father served two tours in Vietnam and is ashamed of what he did. You can blame who you want but we have very obviously been the agressor for about 8 decades now. If you can't see it you deserve the anguish of innocent blood on your hands 😘 Don't forget they'll be the ones to round us up too lol.
@@batzzz2044 Every troop (An entire troop is how big?) is "beyond damaged bordering on dysfunctional." How much do you charge per hour for consultations? Drawing conclusions such as that, which is likely a tiny sample size, requires some qualifications beyond filling out a YT profile. If "facts are facts," what are they so some verification may be performed on their claims. If cowardice is seen on a regular basis, give the readers some examples. Something is bothering you, but I'm unable to identify its scope and issues.
@@jefferyroy2566 You do know exactly what I am saying. When I said facts are facts I was specifically speaking of individuals in my life. I am beyond upset at all of my peers murdering eaching each other for lies and wealth generation. All troops are doing at this point are killing themselves until enough drones are built. What I would like to see happen is these young men putting their energies into demanding actual representation from leadership as opposed to facilitating ALL of our oppresion. You can obfuscate by asking for references. But we both know academia is captured. I am not the average poster and you are thr average communist. It's a death cult and you are advocating for slaughter lol.
Our Great Military Post 911 Volunteered to Serve our Country..Willing to Defend our Country n Constitution without hesitation..Brave n Honorable...It would be very mistakenly of you to think otherwise.
What a nice and wise man . Respect 👍🇬🇧
Thank you Sir
Wonderful
Respect.
My uncle m l Bartholomew was well navy vet 97 yrs old worked at the Roseburg v a facility for over 50 yrs. I'm sure they knew each other.
Great interview and man. ❤❤❤
Thank you for my life.
Back in the day before I could appreciate it, I met a Marine who went up through the Pacific Islands....who while in sort of a time warp trance told of... standing next to a lieutenant who's body was riddled with machine gun fire , seeing bandoleers of ammo explode on the body when hit with a flame thrower, .....
Note.."RupturedDuck" insignia sewed on left side of his WW2 Uniform..this indicated he was in Active Combat Service at official end of hostility WW II..Badge of Honor..Very Unique..
All this AFTER living through the hardships of the Great Depression.
It’s clear that even after all year past , its clearly traumatic to remember the brutality he personally witnessed
doubt if I'm alone in wondering how I would have handled the sort of situations these brave guys did. I think their generation accepted hardship more than most would today. Probably we'll never know because the next world war will be over in a flash.
It’s a shame that our society has lost the respect shown by that generation, people had manners. Social media has made us petty and selfish.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
always a marine
Id love to give these men total executive power for one month, youd be amazed the radical changes from the nonsense going on today
Great video, but I recommend getting 2 wireless mics. Rode makes a nice pair (Wireless Go II).
Thanks -- we're exploring improving our tech setup. Right now we (of course) prioritize the veteran audio with the equipment we have, but we'll be making some changes over the coming months. Stay tuned!
@@RememberWW2 Thanks. My uncle was a WW2 vet in the Pacific. I would have loved to talk to him about his time there, but it was a touchy subject. Your interviews are preserving history. Well done!
50-60 ft grenade thrown through a crack in a wall serving as an mg nest? pays to have a baseball player with you in the field wow
Have a hard time hearing the interviewer’s questions
Pelilu...Bloody Pelilu...Such a waste..McArthur would be ashamed of what historians say about how it should of never happened.
30:30
VW? I don’t think so
I didn't catch it but how did his buddu Jimmy get the stomach wound ?
I’m not saying this man didn’t serve he might just be confused or he ment he was in Sunday school or something like that but Pearl Harbor happened on a Sunday I could be wrong maybe they didn’t have a radio and didn’t hear about it till the next day
The news was not as quick to get out. Remember the Year, he said broadcast over school load speaker. Monday was Roosevelt's address. I was confused at first also. Not everyone had a radio. He knows a ton of info. You can't make this stuff up.
Zero internet in 1941. No big flat screens with streaming news.
This is why we need more real history in school. The information you see on the Korean War is usually limited to a few paragraphs.
God bless this great man.