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I am the 72-year-old son of a US Marine that landed on Tinian in July 1944 with the 2nd Marine Division. I have visited Tinian three times in the last 10 years. The ghosts of the past speak quietly when you walk runway ABLE, drive Broadway, and visit the caves on Mt. Lasso. My father spoke rarely about the war but when on Tinian I feel his presence with me, I love walking ABLE late in the afternoon when the sun is setting, if you are quiet, you can hear the banter of the airmen and the rumble of the B-29 engines. I feel like I am walking in my father's footsteps in the summer of 1944.
Thank you for this - I suspect your dad may have known my grandfather. My grandfather J. Taylor was Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, KIA 24 July 1944.
This has became my favorite you tube channel. I am now 60 years old. The world war II veterans were my teachers, the old guys in the neighborhood, (they had the best looking yards and the most well-kept homes), both my grandfathers and many of my great uncles. They were great guys to sit and talk with. My US history teacher, Roy Shook, took part in the D-Day landings. This is a great thing you're doing to keep the soldiers of world war II's history alive! Looking forward to your next video
Randy, I had a math teacher back in the day, about 5th grade who served in the Pacific. One day still sticks out when he was done teaching the subject and such and had time to pass before the bell rang. He started talking about his service about where he was in the Pacific and such. The typical questions were asked " were you scared?", " what kept your moral up?", "what was it like coming home?", " what battles did you fight in?". You know the harmless questions. But as expected there's always someone that has to ask the wrong question. Sure enough a kid across the room asked " How many Japanese did you kill?" Mr. Bays just sat on his desk with a surprised look that someone would ask that question. Mr. Bays said we would not talk about that and it should not have been asked. I even knew at that age that is a question you do not ask a veteran.
@@comm2531 almost. I work in an assisted Care facility. We just lost a veteran who served under general MacArthur. There are still a few of those guys left. But not many. If we could step into a time machine and, take today's youth back in time, they would not know how to handle the freedom that we all had because of those men and women.
My Highschool Chemistry/Physics teacher, a full blooded Sioux, told us stories of being on Titian when the Enola Gay and other Silver bombers that were to carry the Atomic Bomb 1and 2. The crews boasted that when they flew the War would be over. Thanks to good luck, infighting among the Japanese court and decision of the Emperor after the second bomb they were correct.
My Dad was a tank commander and manned a 50 on an am trac. He was on the 1st wave here and on Siapan and Oakanawa. He refused to talk about any of it until his death in 78. I enjoy seeing these places where he fought.
Thank you for showing Tinian, my Dad was a seabee, heavy equipment driver that helped in the massive effort to build those run ways. He also helped build the "pits". Thank you again.
Thank you for sharing this about your Dad. Obviously he played a key role in the dropping of the Hiroshima bomb. My Dad was with the 1st Marine Division during WWII and after Okinawa was sent to China with the next step being the invasion of Japan. So, I must thank your Dad for making it possible for me to be here today. God bless you.
Thanks to your Dad for his service and building the runways for my father, Lt Joe D Woods, P 47 318th fighter group, 73rd squadron. He flew missions over Japan and China and also was stationed on Saipan and Ie Shima off of Okinawa. Love the videos from JD.
As I mentioned when you did the Saipan videos, my father fought both on Saipan and Tinian with the 6th Marines Scout-Sniper Platoon. He did say Tinian was a much easier battle than Saipan, all things considered. They still had some knockdown drag outs with the Japanese on Tinian. Dad got his second official Purple Heart on Tinian. He ended up with two total between the two islands, but said if he actually got a PH every time he was wounded to some degree, he would have had at least 13. He only got two because those were the only wounds he had to go to the battalion aid station for and thus the wound was officially documented. He was never evacuated until after his unit went back to Saipan and did some work guarding medical facilities and engaging in rabbit hunts for loose Japanese. All of his wounds (almost all grenade or knee mortar fragmentation) finally caught up with him even though he was only 18 years old. He was sent back to the States for medical treatment and when the war ended he was assigned to Marine Barracks Indian Head, Maryland (a naval ammo factory). He was told he would be going back to the Pacific for the invasion of Japan, but the Japanese evidently didn't want to see his young ass again and surrendered. :-) Until the day he died, dad was picking tiny pieces of metal out of himself, it was like popping small zits. He kept them all in a small box (quite a few). Unfortunately my mom threw that box out after dad died. Great videos and good work.
my father in law went ashore with the first on the canal and he too had a few PH. after the second one upset his mom so bad he decided not to have anymore. LOL...so no more "documented" wounds. After the canal he spent the rest of the war in hospital recovering from malaria berry berry and PTSS. We will never see there kind again.
Just sent this video to a Marine who had his 18th birthday there. He has an amazing memory and has recorded his time in the Corps with some fine detail. He told me that his "notes" to his son's and they could do as they wished.
My dad knew your dad, his picture is in the book 40 thrives on saipan along with your dad. He was buried with a fragment of a Japanese hand grenade in his wrist. The corpsman who patched him up said he could be put in for a ph, but after seeing what had happened to others, he declined.
Love your work! My fathers cousin Clifford Jordan was shot down at Tinian. He flew TBM Bombers. He was saved by his Radioman but lost a portion of his foot. He became a dairy farmer in the Catskills after the war.
Thank you VERY much for doing this video, I am grateful to you for letting me see the island! My grandfather served in the US Army Air Corps and, in the summer of 1945, unknowingly, he changed the bomb racks out on the Enola Gay prior to her fateful flight from Tinian. As a young boy I asked him about his role in such a pivotal time in History and he said he was just following orders and knew nothing about Little Boy until after the drop. He said he just knew the racks were for a big bomb. I know his role was small, but I am proud of his service nonetheless and he was part of the Brave who fought to rid the Pacific of the evils of WWII. I will forever cherish the picture I have of him standing on the air field at Tinian with a B29 in the background. 🇺🇲
Came to say there weren't small roles but it's been said. Be proud. We all are. The Pacific theater is often overlooked because...well ..that one guy ..but it was crucial nonetheless.
My father was in the 4th Marine Divsion landing on White Beach 2. He talked very little about the Banzai charge that took place and it affected him the rest of his life. I took him to Saipan on the 50th Anniversary and toured it extensively but he had absolutely no desire to visit Tinian because of his experience in the Banzai.
I lived on Saipan. I was working on board those ships out there as a DOD contractor. My ship the MV Lummus was named after a MOH winner on battle of IWO JIMA and we got to go there. I was on Saipan, Guam 1988-89, 1994-99 with ships and working aviation there as an aircraft mechanic.
JD, I was one of those subs that “helped” you move from 74k subscribers to 75k. I still remember your excitement about that milestone, but let me tell you that my excitement about this channel hasn’t ended one bit! You keep these videos fresh and thanks to you, we can “go to places” that we never thought we would☺️ Keep on the good work!
JD you have done an outstanding job with this journey to Saipan, Guam, and Tinian. Unbelievable terrain to have to fight in. Great series--thanks for taking us along
I must agree. This series has been outstanding. I was especially surprised to discover that there are still some areas on these islands where you dare not tread due to the danger of unexploded munitions. The battle for Tinian may not have been as other battles in the South Pacific, but it's the smaller operations and landings that really should be remembered. Your "history lessons" take us there. I really do enjoy them.
This is a great channel that I really enjoy the content from. My neighbor growing up was a army veteran of Guadalcanal. He never spoke of his combat experience but I'd heard some of it from his wife. He passed years ago as has all the other older neighbors that were WWII veterans. We all owe that generation our gratitude for what they did for our country.
To Thomas D'Acquisto USMC. Veteran of Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. A 17 year old Milwaukee high school kid who skipped school with his buddy and enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was always a Marine. Rest in peace.
If humans are capable of something, then by definition it's not beyond humanity. Look at what the Russians are doing in Ukraine, all these reports of rape and civilian executions, shit don't change.
The rate of captured Americans that were returned after the war from German custody was over 90%. The rate of German pows that returned was about the same. The rate of Americans returning from Japanese pow camps was 72%. They weren't the same.
One of the few legible words in my grandfathers letters home was Tinian, so I know for a fact he was there. What a great treat for me and many others seeing this and so many other sites you’ve shared with us from your trip, just being able to visualize my grandfather trotting on this very beach as a young man means a lot to me. Thank you so much!
Ok, in all honesty, who else ducked as JD was going under the rocky overhang in the trail because they were so into watching this. I sure did lol. Well done JD.
Thank you...Very well done tour. My dad was shot and wounded the 25th, the 2nd day on Tinian and was in hospitals in Hawaii and Oakland until the end of January, 1945. He was in the Marshall Islands and Saipan before that. Like most others, he rarely said much about taking the islands. He had an 8"x 10" photo of his outfit and he could name every one of the men and where they died or were wounded. I once asked him why his unit didn't have reunions like so many do, and he said it was because there weren't any of us left... He did tell a story about after landing on Saipan, how they dug in, as was mentioned in this video, but when it got dark they fell back 50 yards and dug in again. It saved their lives because the Japanese threw everyone and everything they had against the first line.
I wonder what our Marines and Coast Guardsmen on Tinian would have said if you told them that in 2022 a historian would return, via Mauricio Airlines, and rent a new car... for a video production on his own "TV" channel ??? FYI... the US Coast Guard 1) operated the landing craft, and 2) had teams of "Beach Parties" (forerunners of today's USCG Port Security Units) that went ashore BEFORE the Marines to scout and clear areas for landings. The only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor - posthumously (PO1 Douglas Munroe) was a landing craft pilot at Guadalcanal and saved the lives of thousands of Marines. Excellent work J.D. ! I doubt any of us would have the opportunity to see this if not for your work !
Thank you History Underground for documenting these Pacific battle sites. I’ve always loved WW2 history. The Pacific never gets enough attention. Your series and hard work honors those who fought and died there, as well as the civilians who were killed there. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
My husband and I visited Tinian in 2014 and visited White Beach 2. His grandfather was part of the 4th Marine Division that landed on that beach. It was something I will never forget.
Thank you for tackling an area of WWII that we do not see covered. Your videos I hope will be used for generations to come. I can grasp why my uncles never talked about their service. So grateful for their service and sacrifice.
Reading a memoir of a Marine who was in the pacific theater, at Tinnian and it’s o cool to see the places he mentions. Really brings the reading up a level! Thanks JD
Of all the WWII videos, yours is the only ones I've seen that actually go back to the physical locations of battles. That's more common in European theater, but your flight in a small airplane from Saipan to Tinian highlights the differences geography can make to history and its retelling, Thanks for your work
BTW, when you do the next segment on the airstrips for the B-29s, look up the song "Enola Gay" by Bruce "Utah" Phillips. I listened to him sing that when I was a teenager decades ago
As always thank you for keeping history alive and for telling us the history of what happened not only in Tinian but in all other WW2 battlefields you have visited.
I was born in Saipan and raised in Tinian. Left to Hawaii for college and came back in 2018. I’ve always loved learning about our WW2 history and your channel has been so helpful and informative. It may be hard to believe but a lot of locals have seen Japanese ghosts all around the island. I wouldn’t dare to venture around suicide cliff or north field at night, because of all the people that have died there but my husband is an astrophotographer and they’re ideal locations to take deep sky photos haha. Thank you for all that you do to share the stories of those that served in the war. There are lots of other WW2 sites on island, but you would need a few more days on island to see all of them.
Thank you for visiting these small islands that were huge in winning the war. Both of my grandfathers fought in the PT and my brothers and I grew up hearing many stories of these battles. With these videos, we can now put some true scenery to their stories. You are awesome JD! Aloha 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
I love seeing the history of Tinian from WWII. My grandfather was a B-29 mechanic that was stationed on Tinian near the end if the war. He even had the opportunity to see the Enola Gay from a distance.
I can't get enough of your videos! These trips to WWII Pacific Islands are enlightening. Your production value on the latest video always seems to top the last!
Thank you for this fine video! Lived on Saipan for a while and visited a lot of battle sites! Incredible what our Marines had to fight through. Brave men!
My Uncle Arthur was with the 4th Marine Division. He fought at Tinian. He died D+2 on Iwo Jima. I am a Marine as was my father. I am researching his path across the Pacific to tell his story. I appreciate your content.
Had to watch this again. Uncle in Seabees, built airstrips, Dad in 509th engineering division. Thanks so much. Now to Wendover Field, Utah, for me, much closer to home.
I came across this channel about a month ago. I love it. I always loved history. I probably will never see these sights in person but I almost feel like I have. So thank you.
Another great video and love the drone shots at the end. I can only imagine the 'energy' and the feelings of those battles now having spent so long visiting them. It must be amazing.
JD I've gotta ask, who finds/picks the music for your videos? It's always excellent! I mean all of your videos are excellent but I feel like the music doesn't get enough attention.
@@emilyc8356 it took me 7 months to figure it out but the band is Sunriver and the track is "Redemption". They have 2 EP's & a few singles on their RUclips Music page
My great grandfather was a medic in the Pacific sadly he passed when I was young and he didn’t talk about his service with his children. He collected money from all the different areas he served, it was passed to me and I now take the bills and coins out every so often and it is such a simple reminder of his service.
I went to Tinian several years ago and what I found out later that there was this retired Marine by the name of Mike Mervoch, nickname "Iron Mike" who had fought on Tinian, Saipan, Kwajalein and Iwo Jima. He was on a sentimental journey revisiting all the islands he had fought on. I later learned that I missed him on Tinian by one day. I always thought since then what an experience that would have been to have been on the island with a combat Marine who had actually fought there and just getting the living history experience.
Thank you for this series. I know a great deal about the war in Europe,and the basics of the Pacific war. I am really enjoying learning more about these battles and what the brave marines went through. Thankyou
I learn so much more from your videos than any book or documentary, you make me feel like I took the trip with you and that’s as close as I’ll ever come to getting to those places. My goal before I die is to learn as much knowledge as I can and keep dementia from creeping in. I would have loved to had you as my teacher as a kid and you are probably a great teacher and those kids are very lucky
Great job showing the world where Tinian is and how important it was during WW2. Tinian North field was the busiest airfield during the war. I live and grew up here and whenever I explain to friends where i'm from they start researching more.
The Battle of Tinian is one I have not heard of. It’s amazing how it has overgrown. Yes I can see how it was overlooked. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights on this Island.
My dad was a Seabee on Saipan and Tinian. One of his duties was surveying the runways, etc. He also did the surveying for the atomic bomb pits, although he didn't know what they were for at the time. 92 NCB.
I’m glad you covered this island because I honestly don’t really know much about it. In future project if you like to visit the west coast, you should check out Morro Bay, California. Not really much visible relics but it was used for amphibious landing training for roughly a year during WW2. There is a small but cool Maritime museum there. Also in Southern California, you should check out Honda point, site of pre-world war 2 disaster (1923). Seven Navy destroyers slammed into rocks in the fog, killing about 23 sailors. In fact the bell from one of the ships that had most of the deaths is at that museum in Morro bay that I mentioned.
As I see the images you share, I imagine being able to see my grandfather's ship, USS Bull, somewhere there, he shared very little and that was near the end of his journey on this side. Thank you for bringing images to his stories. I am thankful
I have a relative that was killed on Tinian in the waning days of the battle. I know next to nothing of him other than he was a Marine machine gunner. This was amazing to watch and try to imagine his experience and sacrifice.
Hey bro thanks again for another awesome vid, I believe you are the first one to come out to the Mariana Islands do do these videos well your the only one that I know of. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the islands as I've enjoyed your videos about the war on this part of the world🤙🏾. I also wanted to mention that I have a deceased great uncle right in front of my drive way according to my father he stumbled upon his bones while digging up holes for my Grandma's plants so he asked her who is that in the ground and she told him that it's his uncle who got cut in half by bullets on the airfield when the US was taking over Guam. Thanks again bro🤙🏾.
My all time favorite history RUclips channel! Love your civil war content as well as everything else, you’ve been one of my inspirations for studying history. Keep up the good work JD!
Thanks for sharing....alot of world history played out from Tinian after it was secured.... USS Indianapolis, The Atomic missions. I knew one man who was on Tinian during the war in the USNR....
I’m thinking you should market a History Underground playlist. Can’t wait for your trip to Italy. That’s where my father was stationed, 15th Air Force.
JD- what piece of music is @11:45? That is beautiful. Your music selection over all your videos is fantastic- you should annotate them in descriptions.
😢The fighting a soldier is one thing but what they did to civilians was evil on so many levels. Like all the islands this one both sad and beautiful. Amazing video and thank you.
Single engine plane over water from Saipan? Braver than me . Don't want to end up like Larry Hilblom (DHL founder). I remember a few plane crashes when I was there . 1995-1996 Also more than a few boat sinkings between Saipan and Tinian as well. Dangerous stretch of water Tinian became totally an airfield, from having fairly flat areas. The original US built docks , to offload bombs and supplies for all the B-29 units, also had closeby garbage dumps in the water , with the military throwing everything from wrecked B-29's, equipment vehicles, to Coke bottles into the water till past the end of war. I knew a few dudes I worked with that would dive/scuba there to find "relics". I remember one of my friends(one of our crew boat captains) finding several full cases of empty WWII era Coke bottles, and those things were worth like $5-10 a piece. SO he made out that day
Awesome Video JD, I continue to learn from you with every video! And in everyone of them in this series, my heart goes out to the men and women in WWII. The greatest generation by far!!! Thank you for your time effort and editing of all these wonderful videos!!!
Well done. I've always wanted to visit these places. My father was communications personnel with Wps/8 (Weapons Company, 8th Regiment), 2d Marine Division - Saipan and Tinian. He was also communications with Co "D", 2d Scout Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2d Mar Div at Tarawa. I have never see anything about the Scouts - this was not the same company as the Scout Raiders or the Snipers. (The Scouts, btw, evolved into is now known as 2d Recon.) After Tarawa, while in Hawaii, several of these Scouts transferred over to Wpns/8 as replacements. The 8th had suffered heavy losses at Tarawa. Like most vets, he didn't talk about it very much, and if he did it was usually some lighthearted story or a "mini" reference to something he experienced.
JD - if you ever get to New England/ NY State area - here's one for the American Revolution: start at Fort Ticonderoga, travel to Mt Independence (across the water from Ft Ticonderoga), travel SE to Hubbardton, VT- to see where there was a British/ Hessians rearguard fight against Seth Warner and his American forces. Then travel to Bennington, VT. (NOTE: The actual battle was fought in Walloomsac, NY). Then travel to Bemis Heights/Freemans' Farm for the Battle of Saratoga.
If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out.
Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!!!
I am the 72-year-old son of a US Marine that landed on Tinian in July 1944 with the 2nd Marine Division. I have visited Tinian three times in the last 10 years. The ghosts of the past speak quietly when you walk runway ABLE, drive Broadway, and visit the caves on Mt. Lasso. My father spoke rarely about the war but when on Tinian I feel his presence with me, I love walking ABLE late in the afternoon when the sun is setting, if you are quiet, you can hear the banter of the airmen and the rumble of the B-29 engines. I feel like I am walking in my father's footsteps in the summer of 1944.
My dad was in the same group. He talked a lot about the B29s. He passed away in 2013.
Thank you for this - I suspect your dad may have known my grandfather. My grandfather J. Taylor was Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, KIA 24 July 1944.
This has became my favorite you tube channel. I am now 60 years old. The world war II veterans were my teachers, the old guys in the neighborhood, (they had the best looking yards and the most well-kept homes), both my grandfathers and many of my great uncles. They were great guys to sit and talk with. My US history teacher, Roy Shook, took part in the D-Day landings. This is a great thing you're doing to keep the soldiers of world war II's history alive! Looking forward to your next video
Randy, I had a math teacher back in the day, about 5th grade who served in the Pacific. One day still sticks out when he was done teaching the subject and such and had time to pass before the bell rang. He started talking about his service about where he was in the Pacific and such. The typical questions were asked " were you scared?", " what kept your moral up?", "what was it like coming home?", " what battles did you fight in?". You know the harmless questions. But as expected there's always someone that has to ask the wrong question.
Sure enough a kid across the room asked " How many Japanese did you kill?" Mr. Bays just sat on his desk with a surprised look that someone would ask that question. Mr. Bays said we would not talk about that and it should not have been asked. I even knew at that age that is a question you do not ask a veteran.
Same age as you and same WW2 guys in my neighborhood. What a world back then. They're all gone now.
@@comm2531 almost. I work in an assisted Care facility. We just lost a veteran who served under general MacArthur. There are still a few of those guys left. But not many. If we could step into a time machine and, take today's youth back in time, they would not know how to handle the freedom that we all had because of those men and women.
My Highschool Chemistry/Physics teacher, a full blooded Sioux, told us stories of being on Titian when the Enola Gay and other Silver bombers that were to carry the Atomic Bomb 1and 2. The crews boasted that when they flew the War would be over. Thanks to good luck, infighting among the Japanese court and decision of the Emperor after the second bomb they were correct.
@@reginaromsey Wow, what an awesome memory!!!
My Dad was a tank commander and manned a 50 on an am trac. He was on the 1st wave here and on Siapan and Oakanawa. He refused to talk about any of it until his death in 78. I enjoy seeing these places where he fought.
Thank you for showing Tinian, my Dad was a seabee, heavy equipment driver that helped in the massive effort to build those run ways. He also helped build the "pits". Thank you again.
Thank you for sharing this about your Dad. Obviously he played a key role in the dropping of the Hiroshima bomb. My Dad was with the 1st Marine Division during WWII and after Okinawa was sent to China with the next step being the invasion of Japan. So, I must thank your Dad for making it possible for me to be here today. God bless you.
My uncle was a Seabee, and was part of the taking of Saipan, and then Tinian. I wonder if your dad and my uncle knew each other?
@@olentangy74 My Dad was connected to the 350th Naval Construction Group. It was a very small group. They could have at least passed each other!!
My grandfather was a Seabee on Tinian. He was also a heavy equipment operator. Always a small world, even all these years later.
Thanks to your Dad for his service and building the runways for my father, Lt Joe D Woods, P 47 318th fighter group, 73rd squadron. He flew missions over Japan and China and also was stationed on Saipan and Ie Shima off of Okinawa. Love the videos from JD.
My dad was there, too. I love that you are doing this. Thank you. My poor daddy lived with terrible PTSD.
As I mentioned when you did the Saipan videos, my father fought both on Saipan and Tinian with the 6th Marines Scout-Sniper Platoon. He did say Tinian was a much easier battle than Saipan, all things considered. They still had some knockdown drag outs with the Japanese on Tinian. Dad got his second official Purple Heart on Tinian. He ended up with two total between the two islands, but said if he actually got a PH every time he was wounded to some degree, he would have had at least 13. He only got two because those were the only wounds he had to go to the battalion aid station for and thus the wound was officially documented. He was never evacuated until after his unit went back to Saipan and did some work guarding medical facilities and engaging in rabbit hunts for loose Japanese. All of his wounds (almost all grenade or knee mortar fragmentation) finally caught up with him even though he was only 18 years old. He was sent back to the States for medical treatment and when the war ended he was assigned to Marine Barracks Indian Head, Maryland (a naval ammo factory). He was told he would be going back to the Pacific for the invasion of Japan, but the Japanese evidently didn't want to see his young ass again and surrendered. :-) Until the day he died, dad was picking tiny pieces of metal out of himself, it was like popping small zits. He kept them all in a small box (quite a few). Unfortunately my mom threw that box out after dad died. Great videos and good work.
What was she thinking. Those bits were a part of him.
my father in law went ashore with the first on the canal and he too had a few PH. after the second one upset his mom so bad he decided not to have anymore. LOL...so no more "documented" wounds. After the canal he spent the rest of the war in hospital recovering from malaria berry berry and PTSS. We will never see there kind again.
Just sent this video to a Marine who had his 18th birthday there. He has an amazing memory and has recorded his time in the Corps with some fine detail. He told me that his "notes" to his son's and they could do as they wished.
My dad knew your dad, his picture is in the book 40 thrives on saipan along with your dad. He was buried with a fragment of a Japanese hand grenade in his wrist. The corpsman who patched him up said he could be put in for a ph, but after seeing what had happened to others, he declined.
@@Sam2sham What was your dad's name? I don't find a Wilson in the book.
Love your work! My fathers cousin Clifford Jordan was shot down at Tinian. He flew TBM Bombers. He was saved by his Radioman but lost a portion of his foot. He became a dairy farmer in the Catskills after the war.
Clifford Jordan the Saxophonist?
@@charles1964 No. He was a dairy farmer in the Catskills. Son of Charles and Francis Dotter Jordan
Thank you VERY much for doing this video, I am grateful to you for letting me see the island! My grandfather served in the US Army Air Corps and, in the summer of 1945, unknowingly, he changed the bomb racks out on the Enola Gay prior to her fateful flight from Tinian. As a young boy I asked him about his role in such a pivotal time in History and he said he was just following orders and knew nothing about Little Boy until after the drop. He said he just knew the racks were for a big bomb. I know his role was small, but I am proud of his service nonetheless and he was part of the Brave who fought to rid the Pacific of the evils of WWII. I will forever cherish the picture I have of him standing on the air field at Tinian with a B29 in the background. 🇺🇲
There were no small roles.
Came to say there weren't small roles but it's been said.
Be proud. We all are.
The Pacific theater is often overlooked because...well ..that one guy ..but it was crucial nonetheless.
Thanks for doing these. My Dad was a 4th Marine and fought on both Saipan and Tinian. Great men.
My father was in the 4th Marine Divsion landing on White Beach 2. He talked very little about the Banzai charge that took place and it affected him the rest of his life. I took him to Saipan on the 50th Anniversary and toured it extensively but he had absolutely no desire to visit Tinian because of his experience in the Banzai.
Oh wow. That’s intense.
Your father is part of the Greatest Generation! Men like him saved us!
I lived on Saipan. I was working on board those ships out there as a DOD contractor. My ship the MV Lummus was named after a MOH winner on battle of IWO JIMA and we got to go there. I was on Saipan, Guam 1988-89, 1994-99 with ships and working aviation there as an aircraft mechanic.
I visited Saipan and Iwo during the 50th anniversary. I'm a WWII history buff.
JD, I was one of those subs that “helped” you move from 74k subscribers to 75k. I still remember your excitement about that milestone, but let me tell you that my excitement about this channel hasn’t ended one bit! You keep these videos fresh and thanks to you, we can “go to places” that we never thought we would☺️
Keep on the good work!
Thanks! I appreciate that more than you know.
JD you have done an outstanding job with this journey to Saipan, Guam, and Tinian. Unbelievable terrain to have to fight in. Great series--thanks for taking us along
I must agree. This series has been outstanding. I was especially surprised to discover that there are still some areas on these islands where you dare not tread due to the danger of unexploded munitions. The battle for Tinian may not have been as other battles in the South Pacific, but it's the smaller operations and landings that really should be remembered. Your "history lessons" take us there. I really do enjoy them.
This is a great channel that I really enjoy the content from. My neighbor growing up was a army veteran of Guadalcanal. He never spoke of his combat experience but I'd heard some of it from his wife. He passed years ago as has all the other older neighbors that were WWII veterans. We all owe that generation our gratitude for what they did for our country.
Your series on the war in the Pacific is really fascinating, JD.
To Thomas D'Acquisto USMC. Veteran of Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. A 17 year old Milwaukee high school kid who skipped school with his buddy and enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was always a Marine. Rest in peace.
My grandfather, also from Wisconsin was in A1-10 2nd marine devision on these islands, he was a forward observer
Glad you didn't go in the water. Caught a glimpse of a shark in your drone shot. 😄
Harmless reef shark that are very common in those waters.
OMG those little planes , above all planes scares the crap outta me ... You are brave and Thank you
The brutality of war is astounding! Whether Japanese, Nazis, it is beyond humanity! Thank you for sharing this, looking forward to the airfields!
If humans are capable of something, then by definition it's not beyond humanity. Look at what the Russians are doing in Ukraine, all these reports of rape and civilian executions, shit don't change.
You forgot the Russians. They where not better, than the Nazis and Japanese.
The rate of captured Americans that were returned after the war from German custody was over 90%. The rate of German pows that returned was about the same. The rate of Americans returning from Japanese pow camps was 72%. They weren't the same.
One of the few legible words in my grandfathers letters home was Tinian, so I know for a fact he was there. What a great treat for me and many others seeing this and so many other sites you’ve shared with us from your trip, just being able to visualize my grandfather trotting on this very beach as a young man means a lot to me. Thank you so much!
Ok, in all honesty, who else ducked as JD was going under the rocky overhang in the trail because they were so into watching this. I sure did lol. Well done JD.
Cannot believe you were walking on that island. Wow. Thank you.
Fantastic video!! I also enjoyed watching the shark swim across the tides in the drone shot (10:02)!!
I noticed that as well.
I have stayed on Tinian my whole life and I tell you that I am so in love with the history that took place on my home.
Wish that I would have given myself more time there. Loved that island.
Thank you...Very well done tour.
My dad was shot and wounded the 25th, the 2nd day on Tinian and was in hospitals in Hawaii and Oakland until the end of January, 1945. He was in the Marshall Islands and Saipan before that. Like most others, he rarely said much about taking the islands. He had an 8"x 10" photo of his outfit and he could name every one of the men and where they died or were wounded. I once asked him why his unit didn't have reunions like so many do, and he said it was because there weren't any of us left... He did tell a story about after landing on Saipan, how they dug in, as was mentioned in this video, but when it got dark they fell back 50 yards and dug in again. It saved their lives because the Japanese threw everyone and everything they had against the first line.
My gosh. Can’t even imagine.
I wonder what our Marines and Coast Guardsmen on Tinian would have said if you told them that in 2022 a historian would return, via Mauricio Airlines, and rent a new car... for a video production on his own "TV" channel ???
FYI... the US Coast Guard 1) operated the landing craft, and 2) had teams of "Beach Parties" (forerunners of today's USCG Port Security Units) that went ashore BEFORE the Marines to scout and clear areas for landings. The only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor - posthumously (PO1 Douglas Munroe) was a landing craft pilot at Guadalcanal and saved the lives of thousands of Marines.
Excellent work J.D. ! I doubt any of us would have the opportunity to see this if not for your work !
Glad you didnt bump your head JD LOL THANKS once again for covering WW2 IN THE PACIFIC !!
Thank you for taking us along 🫶🏼
My father was a Marine PFC rifleman in the 25th Regiment and was wounded on Tinian.
God Bless him!
What a fascinating history lesson. 5 * for history 5* effort 5* for content and 10stars for not hitting your head.
😅
Thank you History Underground for documenting these Pacific battle sites. I’ve always loved WW2 history. The Pacific never gets enough attention. Your series and hard work honors those who fought and died there, as well as the civilians who were killed there. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Beautiful segment and tribute to all those who served and perished.
👍🏻
My husband and I visited Tinian in 2014 and visited White Beach 2. His grandfather was part of the 4th Marine Division that landed on that beach. It was something I will never forget.
Thank you for tackling an area of WWII that we do not see covered. Your videos I hope will be used for generations to come. I can grasp why my uncles never talked about their service. So grateful for their service and sacrifice.
Reading a memoir of a Marine who was in the pacific theater, at Tinnian and it’s o cool to see the places he mentions. Really brings the reading up a level! Thanks JD
That was an AFV's running gear on those rocks JD and also 10:03 3 o'clock low, a shark! Dang how cool!
thank you so much for showing the battlefields so well! History is interesting again.
Thank you for this! My grandfather J. Taylor was Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, KIA 24 July 1944.
Of all the WWII videos, yours is the only ones I've seen that actually go back to the physical locations of battles. That's more common in European theater, but your flight in a small airplane from Saipan to Tinian highlights the differences geography can make to history and its retelling, Thanks for your work
BTW, when you do the next segment on the airstrips for the B-29s, look up the song "Enola Gay" by Bruce "Utah" Phillips. I listened to him sing that when I was a teenager decades ago
That flight was beautiful and scared me and I wasn’t even on the tiny plane ✈️ glad you were safe. Thank you for sharing your adventures
As always thank you for keeping history alive and for telling us the history of what happened not only in Tinian but in all other WW2 battlefields you have visited.
I was born in Saipan and raised in Tinian. Left to Hawaii for college and came back in 2018. I’ve always loved learning about our WW2 history and your channel has been so helpful and informative. It may be hard to believe but a lot of locals have seen Japanese ghosts all around the island. I wouldn’t dare to venture around suicide cliff or north field at night, because of all the people that have died there but my husband is an astrophotographer and they’re ideal locations to take deep sky photos haha. Thank you for all that you do to share the stories of those that served in the war. There are lots of other WW2 sites on island, but you would need a few more days on island to see all of them.
Another outstanding video JD. Especially liked the wildlife cameo at 10:02. Keep up the great work!
Keep up the great work JD. What a dream to see all of these hallowed grounds.
Thank you for visiting these small islands that were huge in winning the war. Both of my grandfathers fought in the PT and my brothers and I grew up hearing many stories of these battles. With these videos, we can now put some true scenery to their stories. You are awesome JD! Aloha 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
I love seeing the history of Tinian from WWII. My grandfather was a B-29 mechanic that was stationed on Tinian near the end if the war. He even had the opportunity to see the Enola Gay from a distance.
I can't get enough of your videos! These trips to WWII Pacific Islands are enlightening. Your production value on the latest video always seems to top the last!
Thank you for this fine video! Lived on Saipan for a while and visited a lot of battle sites! Incredible what our Marines had to fight through. Brave men!
My Uncle Arthur was with the 4th Marine Division. He fought at Tinian. He died D+2 on Iwo Jima. I am a Marine as was my father. I am researching his path across the Pacific to tell his story. I appreciate your content.
Just excellent !!! Your Pacific videos are some of your best.
Had to watch this again. Uncle in Seabees, built airstrips, Dad in 509th engineering division. Thanks so much. Now to Wendover Field, Utah, for me, much closer to home.
Thanks JD. Another fantastic video. So interesting what all the troops went through. Stay safe. 👍👍👍👍👍
Such a beautiful place for such a horrific scene of war. Hard to imagine
I came across this channel about a month ago. I love it. I always loved history. I probably will never see these sights in person but I almost feel like I have. So thank you.
Another great video and love the drone shots at the end. I can only imagine the 'energy' and the feelings of those battles now having spent so long visiting them. It must be amazing.
That rusty piece of metal on the beach looks like the final drive of either a tank or armored carrier
JD I've gotta ask, who finds/picks the music for your videos? It's always excellent! I mean all of your videos are excellent but I feel like the music doesn't get enough attention.
yessss. need to know what this song is?!
@@emilyc8356 it took me 7 months to figure it out but the band is Sunriver and the track is "Redemption". They have 2 EP's & a few singles on their RUclips Music page
My great grandfather was a medic in the Pacific sadly he passed when I was young and he didn’t talk about his service with his children. He collected money from all the different areas he served, it was passed to me and I now take the bills and coins out every so often and it is such a simple reminder of his service.
That has to be some intense fighting. I feel bad that there are so many battles in WWII that I know nothing about.
Thank you, DJ, for showing what the greatest generation had to go through, thank you all the world war 2 service men and women.
Shark shark....well done JD...
I went to Tinian several years ago and what I found out later that there was this retired Marine by the name of Mike Mervoch, nickname "Iron Mike" who had fought on Tinian, Saipan, Kwajalein and Iwo Jima. He was on a sentimental journey revisiting all the islands he had fought on. I later learned that I missed him on Tinian by one day.
I always thought since then what an experience that would have been to have been on the island with a combat Marine who had actually fought there and just getting the living history experience.
Thank you for this series. I know a great deal about the war in Europe,and the basics of the Pacific war. I am really enjoying learning more about these battles and what the brave marines went through. Thankyou
I learn so much more from your videos than any book or documentary, you make me feel like I took the trip with you and that’s as close as I’ll ever come to getting to those places. My goal before I die is to learn as much knowledge as I can and keep dementia from creeping in. I would have loved to had you as my teacher as a kid and you are probably a great teacher and those kids are very lucky
Thanks! I appreciate that!
Great job showing the world where Tinian is and how important it was during WW2. Tinian North field was the busiest airfield during the war. I live and grew up here and whenever I explain to friends where i'm from they start researching more.
Wow. Tinian is a forgotten place for sure. You gave it new life. I'll bet a whole bunch of people do a whole lot of searching for Tinian after this.
Nice size shark just offshore at @10:00. Motivation to get on to the beach as fast as possible.
Ha! Yeah, pretty cool that I caught that thing on film.
The Battle of Tinian is one I have not heard of. It’s amazing how it has overgrown. Yes I can see how it was overlooked. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights on this Island.
Great ! Looking forward to see the feild where Tibets took off with the Enola Gay.
My dad was a Seabee on Saipan and Tinian. One of his duties was surveying the runways, etc. He also did the surveying for the atomic bomb pits, although he didn't know what they were for at the time. 92 NCB.
Wow! You’ll probably like the next episode 🙂
I’m glad you covered this island because I honestly don’t really know much about it. In future project if you like to visit the west coast, you should check out Morro Bay, California. Not really much visible relics but it was used for amphibious landing training for roughly a year during WW2. There is a small but cool Maritime museum there. Also in Southern California, you should check out Honda point, site of pre-world war 2 disaster (1923). Seven Navy destroyers slammed into rocks in the fog, killing about 23 sailors. In fact the bell from one of the ships that had most of the deaths is at that museum in Morro bay that I mentioned.
As I see the images you share, I imagine being able to see my grandfather's ship, USS Bull, somewhere there, he shared very little and that was near the end of his journey on this side. Thank you for bringing images to his stories. I am thankful
I have a relative that was killed on Tinian in the waning days of the battle. I know next to nothing of him other than he was a Marine machine gunner. This was amazing to watch and try to imagine his experience and sacrifice.
Glad that you enjoyed it.
Thank you J.D. for the video. I always enjoy your videos and learn so much.
Wonderfully interesting, as usual! Thank you and keep up the good work.
Hey bro thanks again for another awesome vid, I believe you are the first one to come out to the Mariana Islands do do these videos well your the only one that I know of. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the islands as I've enjoyed your videos about the war on this part of the world🤙🏾. I also wanted to mention that I have a deceased great uncle right in front of my drive way according to my father he stumbled upon his bones while digging up holes for my Grandma's plants so he asked her who is that in the ground and she told him that it's his uncle who got cut in half by bullets on the airfield when the US was taking over Guam. Thanks again bro🤙🏾.
Anyone notice the shark swimming in the drone footage at the 10:00 mark? Really neat
Didn’t even notice that until I was editing this video. Pretty cool.
What a amazing video documentary. Thank you for sharing
Really enjoying this series on these Pacific landing and learning about the battles. Looking forward to Part II of this one. You do a wonderful job...
My all time favorite history RUclips channel! Love your civil war content as well as everything else, you’ve been one of my inspirations for studying history. Keep up the good work JD!
Just awesome!! Can't wait to see the airfield.
Thanks. Amazing odyssey that you're on.
Another Pacific classic…thx, Andrew
Excellent job. Thank you again for teaching everyone what really isn't known but so important to history.
When you walked out to beach White 1 I thought for sure Tom Hanks would have came out of the bushes and yell “WILSON”! Lol
lovely footage and reflect again shows the shear input the had on the invasion and make it
easy - lovely story
you have the best music of all the tubers!
Thanks for sharing....alot of world history played out from Tinian after it was secured.... USS Indianapolis, The Atomic missions.
I knew one man who was on Tinian during the war in the USNR....
I was hoping for the Indiana Jones airplane travel graphic to Tinian......love your videos!
I’m thinking you should market a History Underground playlist.
Can’t wait for your trip to Italy. That’s where my father was stationed, 15th Air Force.
JD- what piece of music is @11:45? That is beautiful. Your music selection over all your videos is fantastic- you should annotate them in descriptions.
I am so glad that you posted this. It is the first time I have ever heard, or seen anything about this battle. Very informative.
😢The fighting a soldier is one thing but what they did to civilians was evil on so many levels. Like all the islands this one both sad and beautiful.
Amazing video and thank you.
Single engine plane over water from Saipan? Braver than me . Don't want to end up like Larry Hilblom (DHL founder).
I remember a few plane crashes when I was there . 1995-1996 Also more than a few boat sinkings between Saipan and Tinian as well. Dangerous stretch of water
Tinian became totally an airfield, from having fairly flat areas. The original US built docks , to offload bombs and supplies for all the B-29 units, also had closeby garbage dumps in the water , with the military throwing everything from wrecked B-29's, equipment vehicles, to Coke bottles into the water till past the end of war. I knew a few dudes I worked with that would dive/scuba there to find "relics". I remember one of my friends(one of our crew boat captains) finding several full cases of empty WWII era Coke bottles, and those things were worth like $5-10 a piece. SO he made out that day
Just an incredible presentation and look at tinian today. Thank you.
Truly informative videos. Keep up the great work. Can’t wait for the next one.
Awesome Video JD, I continue to learn from you with every video! And in everyone of them in this series, my heart goes out to the men and women in WWII. The greatest generation by far!!! Thank you for your time effort and editing of all these wonderful videos!!!
I've taken these jumpers over to tinian many times. Ya get use to it. Beautiful islands saipan and tinian just to name a few.
Well done. I've always wanted to visit these places. My father was communications personnel with Wps/8 (Weapons Company, 8th Regiment), 2d Marine Division - Saipan and Tinian. He was also communications with Co "D", 2d Scout Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2d Mar Div at Tarawa. I have never see anything about the Scouts - this was not the same company as the Scout Raiders or the Snipers. (The Scouts, btw, evolved into is now known as 2d Recon.) After Tarawa, while in Hawaii, several of these Scouts transferred over to Wpns/8 as replacements. The 8th had suffered heavy losses at Tarawa. Like most vets, he didn't talk about it very much, and if he did it was usually some lighthearted story or a "mini" reference to something he experienced.
JD - if you ever get to New England/ NY State area - here's one for the American Revolution: start at Fort Ticonderoga, travel to Mt Independence (across the water from Ft Ticonderoga), travel SE to Hubbardton, VT- to see where there was a British/ Hessians rearguard fight against Seth Warner and his American forces. Then travel to Bennington, VT. (NOTE: The actual battle was fought in Walloomsac, NY). Then travel to Bemis Heights/Freemans' Farm for the Battle of Saratoga.
I’ve been there an it’s an awesome place to go. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves history.
You truly make some incredible videos, thank you sir