The Forgotten Islands of World War II: A Return to the Hidden Pacific
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- Опубликовано: 8 ноя 2016
- A group of 17 World War II veterans traveled back to the Pacific Islands they helped liberate 70 years ago, the islands where they watched so many of their friends die.
We were invited along on the journey, too. FOX31's Jeremy Hubbard, traveling some 7,000 miles from Colorado with the soldiers, sailors and marines.
The trip, sponsored by a Denver charity called "The Greatest Generations Foundation" flies World War II veterans all around the globe so they can return to the battlefields where they once served. 
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My dad served all over pacific islands. He was proud of his service. I always the guys who s urvuved the war came h ome married their sweetheart got a home and raised up their families...daughter of a ww2 vet....
My father flew 41 missions in a B-24 from Guadalcanal and Esprit De Santos. When I was a young teenager he opened up to me what it was like and how it affected him. The Greatest generation. Wish I could visit there and "feel" his presence once again!
I tip my hat to every solider who took part in both world wars, everyone of them that got home or even never made it home are hero's ....... They will never grow old.
I have such a love and respect for these guys it just makes me cry when I see them and hear their stories . I would of imagine they are not here anymore . Such Honor and Integrity those two things are non existent now days . God bless all those guys
My father (gone now) fought in horrific battles in New Guinea. He was awarded the Bronze Star 35 years after the fact. He was always somewhat bitter that those Pacific actions were all but forgotten, compared to D-Day in Europe, etc. Thus I welcomed seeing this presentation.
The Brits were the same, the 14th Army know as the forgotten Army. It was a mix of many nationalities.
I havnt forgotten them. Its amazing history. The relics are still there. Thank you.
My dad passed recently and fought many battles in the Pacific including the battle of Leyte Gulf, Luzon, Mindoro, Corregidor, New Guinea, survived kamikaze attacks, and later occupation forces into Japan. Only in his later years did I really get to question him about his experiences.
They are true heroes no matter what people say. HEROS!!!
July 4 2022
Am hrs.
👍 Much respect for all who served during these times. Thank you for this video.
my Father never would have gone back ... never...hated the war........never talked about it....Semper Fi, Dad.....your my hero....
The United States Marines and Navy Corpsmen that fought in the Pacific are the greatest men to ever walk the face of this earth.
Thank You
Well my father would've still been in the running for that oldest WWII vet but he died in October at 98 just a month before he turned 99. They were a special breed
Was he in WWI also?
Truly the Greatest Generation. God bless them all. They did so much for America. And this generation born after WW2 will never forget. I am extremely sorry the latest generation has let the principles you fought for fall by the wayside
Peleliu - Should never be forgotten.
It's a beautiful place now.
Thank you all for your service. So proud. Lest We Forget.
What a wonderful thing you guys did bringing these great veterans back to where they served our country. I am so glad I clicked on this. Great job.
William Manchester of "Death Of A President" fame authored a beautiful book on
these Pacific battlefields "Goodbye Darkness".
Thank you! A very nice show of honoring our vets on those far away islands that were crucial at ending the war. Brought tears to my eyes.
You guys are aces,the best of the best,thank you and all of the other veterans who live now and those who gave their lives so that we could remain free.Bless you all.
LyudmilaRGVK marines were not the only ones that fought in the Pacific!
FKR,,,,,,,,6 minutes in and the old boy had me tearing!
I don’t know him never meet him? But he has all my respect and love!
God Bless America and God Bless our Soldiers
Thank you, Jeremy Hubbard and Fox 31 Denver! Great presentation!
My grandad served in the Russell islands campaign. Died last year 2018. 579 SAW went in with the 49th battalion. Hard to wrap your mind around the 40-60 millions lives lost in ww2.
Thank you to the greatest generation, the generation of my father. Thank you fox32.
these Hero's remind us of their Valor and the high cost of war, thank you All for Serving!
My Uncle john was a Corpman with the Marines. His first battle was on Guadalcanal with the 1st Marine Div. he never really talk about it afyrt he came home . But I do remember my Mother tell he left with a full head of hair but came back bald and would have nightmare. thank you all of you for what you did
Glenn Riviere, thanks for sharing and for your family's sacrifices. One of my uncles also had nightmares, but he was part of the Korean War. It was heartbreaking to know he suffered so much. It's sort-of a family affair.
My grandpa also fought here as a apart of the 147th infantry
Evan was he on Iwo also?
Marines don't forget. Those islands have the blood of our fellow Marines on them.
jpavlvs Semper Fidelis
Marines never die!
Kill
AMEN
We in Guam never forget those who served and died during the war.
@ John Lujan
Thank you from America.
John, you have a beautiful Island.. Great people. I wonder how many know of all the Guamanian people that were massacred by the Japanese for nothing more than looking up at an American airplane?
I was there in 61/62 at Finegayan. Spent a lot of time down on the "beach" between Merizo and Inarajan where I could be by myself and enjoy the breeze blowing in off the ocean. Is the WWI German sub still'stuck' in Umatac bay? That was a beautiful little town. Lot of good memories tho long after WWII.
Not enuf room to write all I remember - feel.
John Lujan my dad was at Guam later at Okinawa. Then back to Guam to train for landing in Japan
John Lujan Thank you!
LV Hamilton
Dad was 8th Air Corp in England. He made it home unscathed physically. His first cousin, my uncle Wibby, was a US Marine. He had made a couple of landings before stumbling a few yards onto Iwo Jima's black sand and BOOM. Left arm and leg shattered and two good friends gone. His war days were over. Wibby limped the rest of his life but still had some use of both his arm and leg. He was lucky. He had to chase me and my cousin Gayle around the yard with the belt in his one good arm. He married his childhood sweetheart who was from a large Italian family here in our twisted little Mississippi Delta town. The Raviolis and wonderful Italian dishes were a great addition to the typical holiday fair. She opened up a whole new world for me. I was raised by Dad and his friends. They were all vets from one theater or another. I miss these people.
Thanks for sharing, ergot 57. And thanks to your family for their service and sacrifices. Many throughout the world understand that because of men like your father and uncle our lives are better. Despots like Hitler and the other countries with their despots would make our lives miserable if they could. In my family, my father and one brother served during WWII. The third brother was too young to join the service, so instead, he worked in the shipyard building ships for the cause. Later he served in the Korean War. We have several cousins, nephews and my son who have served in the decades since WWII. I never stopped to think about who in the family have and do presently serve in the military. I hope I don't sound as if I'm bragging, because I am not. Actually, I am awed by it or at it all.
Funny you should mention Korea. When Dad got back from WW2 the position for AST or active service technician at the local reserve unit was open and he applied and got the job. His best drinking buddies were all ex WW2 servicemen from all over the war zones. Back then reserve pay would buy a fellow a car and insurance. He talked all of his buddies into getting in. They had it going on until the Dixie Division was formed for Korea and as they were an Infantry unit off they went. LOL. They never forgave him for that. They all managed to make it home. Amazing really. They never much talked about it until late at night after a few drinks at the deer camp. Dad retired in the late 70s with many years served altogether and many of his friends stayed in the unit to get there twenty in for the extra eagle on their mail boxes in old age as well. What a bunch they were. Like I said, I miss them all. There wives were a whole different book too. They had to be, to deal with them rascals. Needs to be some books written on what they went through.
What, were you two acting up?
8th Air Force, not 8th Air Corps. Army Air Corps ceased to exist after July 1941. Became the Army Air Force then U.S. Air Force in 1947.
@@roderickstockdale1678 If you are referring to My cousin and I, it would be yes and no. Somedays it didn't take much other days nothing seemed to bother anyone. We had good times growing up, but nobodies childhood is perfect I guess. Moms were just as willing to chase us around, but the infamous "wait till your father gets home" was the spookiest of all. LOL
Well done! Thank you so much for honoring our WW II veterans.
Thank you WW2 vets you had a hard life in that time. My father was in WW2 and Korea. He died in 1977. So for all other thanks.
Anyone that would 'Take-a-knee' during the playing of the anthem is completely oblivious to the veterans of this and every war and totally wrong. What heaven wrought cannot be forgotten.
Yeah don't forget about slavery and treating minorities like second class citizens.
@@yequalsemexplusbee4322 absolutely irrelevant.
Don Brasfield was an old Hollywood Marine who at 19 made all three landings on these islands. I was 22 when I met him and had already served 4 years in The Corps. We became good friends he and I. Of the war all he ever said and this only once was that on Siapan he and two other Marines were laying in a bomb crater for cover and that the bullets flying over that hole were so thick if you'd of raised your hand it would have been immediately blown off. That's all he ever said of those battles. I could see in his eyes how scarred his very soul was from that experience. As a Marine of my time during the 1980's I can say I did my duty but I never had to do anything like these men did. To land under fire on a hot beach where death is almost a certainty is beyond any training I ever went through. The Corps has always been involved in every little nasty conflict this evil world has to offer desperately standing a post and holding the line to keep the monsters away from our beloved America!! But to these men we all owe a debt we can never repay with blood or honor. Their sacrifices were too great, too costly, that all we can ever do is remember them and not forget that they stepped up and held the line for freedom. Lt. Col. Don Brassfield I honor your memory. Have told my son's of you and of the bravest men I have ever known who sacrificed themselves on the alter of freedom that we may remain a free people. God bless America and God bless The United States Marine Corps! Semper Fidelis................
I was fortunate enough to serve our great nation, but I was speared the horrors of war, due in no small part, by those who served before me, and I for one am extremely grateful for that.
Ron Canty I would love to hear your story
Thank you so very much, all the men and women in uniform, past, present, and future. Love you so much! Truly.
Logan Lorn well said
The greatest generation, for which we are forever indebted.
What a great transpiration Rondo is.
Respect to those who fought in every war in the search for freedom.
RESPECT !
Thanks for this video !!!
Honor and Respect to these men and the men lost all those years ago.
Thank you I was on one of those ships in the background off of Garapan and I have met a few of those survivors who came back to revisit the island of Saipan and Guam I lived there for 12 years on both Saipan and Guam. I have quite a collection of old bullets and casings that I have have found. I as a wartime veteran (viet nam) I Salute my older Brethren in Arms who gave so much for our country and that includes both Saipan and Guam.
I'm looking for someone who was in Saipan on June 15, 1944. My mother and her 9 brother and sisters and mother and father were in a cave and the Americans were throwing grenades into the cave thinking they were Japanese in the caves and unfortunately killed her mother and father and five brothers and sisters on June 15, 1944.. My mother, eight years old, suffered grenade wounds and were left with the rest of her remaining brothers and sisters and dead family for five days until they were evacuated.
@@sillygoose4438 same.
All I can do is offer tears to these men
Forever grateful to them
Awesome. I grew up in Denver for more than half my life but these days retired in the Philippines and South West Pacific. While in the Navy (long time ago) was deployed for 3 months to Guam.
In the mid to late 1970's I was part of a US Navy Reserve aircrew flying in a P3B Orion patrol aircraft. One time, while flying out of Guam we flew a MAP (maritime air patrol) flight of the Northern Mariana Islands. The patrol started at the first island north of Saipan and continued all the way above Mog Mog. On the way up we flew over Tinian and across the runway used by the Enola Gay. We flew across at about 1000 feet and could see the memorial at the loading site for the bombs. As we crossed I saw a single tree growing out of the center of the runway several hundred feet from the end of the runway. Today the runways are not usable. At one time it was the busiest airfield in the world.
Today they are used and have been during our exercises.
@@buzz5969 I'm glad to hear that. Tinian could use a good airport for it's tourist trade.
These islands are far from forgotten.
Awesome video guys. Excellent job.
My dad (USN) by luck of the draw stayed stateside. None of his buddies that headed to the Pacific islands came back. Ask any vet about luck.
Well done Veterans!
Those islands are not forgoten, look up the battle for Biac island, my dad served there in an anti aircraft divison.
Thanks FOX Denver.
The Mariana's aren't really forgotten. Places like the Solomon Islands (beside Guadalcanal), New Guinea, Makin Island, Buna, The Eastern Mandates, Bismarck Archipelago. These are forgotten islands and battles. These are the types of places where "generic South Pacific Island battle" come from in movies and video games.
Great bunch of guys.
God bless England, the British Commonwealth, all the Allies and the good ol' USA
Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for what you did lads
good program.THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Thank you so much for all those who share their lives so that others my live to all veterans in word war 2 God bless you all for those did not make it my soul find rest and peace with God our savior.
Thanks for sharing this video. Well done!
Thanks that was one of the best video's I have saw. I really loved it seeing where my dad might have been there he never talked bout it.
ronnie cardy thank you to ALL US veterans. regardless of where or when you served. you went and fought for your country. I will never forget your sacrifice.
It’s a shame that these places that most all have forgotten, these places that sons and fathers gave their lives, do nothing to remember them and their sacrifices.
Rondo is pretty damn spry for 90! Amazing!
I envy these men.
Fantastic Historic memorys.
,Rondo is cool as hell
God bless them all
My great uncle Eddie Raston was on the USS Detroit when the Japanese attacked Pearl harbor parked next to the AZ and my great uncle Jim fought at Guadalcanal and Philippines. He captured a Japanese rifle which I owned but was stolen by a family member
My left ear likes the narration, my right ear likes the music
How often do you have the chance to shake hands with History?
Thank you all living and dead,I salute you until the day I die.
Thank you!
My dad was at Guam later at Okinawa later back to Guam to train for the landing in Japan
wow keep the spirit of the fallen in your hearts forever god bless
thank you
Heroes to a man.
I was there just 25 years after these gentlemen. There were 50,000 civilians on Saipan when we landed there in 1944. Very few survived because of the Japanese propaganda. The few soldiers who survived freely talked to the GI interigators because they hadn't been told not to. Their superiors were sure they'd all die so why bother to tell their soldiers not to give away military plans or secrets.
Too bad you didn't get up to Pagan. Biggest coconut crabs in the Mariana's found there. By the way, that's Pa gen not PA gen.
In 1971 when I landed on Tinian they were just starting to clear the tanga tanga off the roads and runways. The loading bunker was not covered back then and aside from a small placard there wasn't much to see. Standing there though, looking West over the blue Pacific, it was profound to contemplate what that August morning must have been like.
Well, thanks for the memories. And thanks to the 17 who had a much rougher time of it in the Marianas than I did.
Amazing history
Good on you ..you look really healthy.. I hope you achieve your goal..you deserve it
God bless him. I just found this. I hope Rhindo is still kicking.
There's a war memorial on Guam that honor's the service dogs that were killed
Nice Job...
Semper Fi Oooorrrraaaahhhh
I've lived in Saipan from 1975 to 1992. Sad place for me to grow up
My Uncle was killed on 12 Dec 1942 in New Guinea by a widow maker falling on him. He was Army 41st Inf. Div. Most people don't know or care that the Army made more Amphib. Attacks in the Pacific than the Marines did.
That is true. However, none of those landings were equal to the likes of Tarawa or Iwo Jima. Most of them were also conducted by MacArthur in the South West Pacific area within land based aircraft range. There were a number of Army divisions that served in the Central Pacific, including the 7th, 27th, 77th, 81st, and 96th Infantry Divisions.
Army couldnt keep up with the Marines in Saipan which is why the lame Army General in Charge was fired!😊⚓️🇺🇸🍻✌🏻
thank you from AMERICA to protect and save my COUNTRY.the PHILLIPINES
Hw can anyone give this a thumbs down...I just dont understand some people.
My father. Private Harry Lewis was in WW2. Came home to Knoxville Tennessee in 1945
Harry Lewis was in south Pacific
He came home. Married my mom at age 30. Had us 9 children. Was a christian. Served as a decon in church until he died in 1998 at the age of 82. I love him still with all my heart. We all love him still. We will see him in heaven some day. I'm Evelyn his next to the oldest daughter
I'm 74 years now
No stereo? Good video
sound balance would be nice, just say'n
The world war 2 field trip in saipan was a bit fun but its sad to know how young people died at war some people are 4,5,3 and 1 it was sad
Lest we forget.
Hey guys, great series tho very hard to listen to. Spoken audio was panned too much to the left :/
Thank you for this.
US ARMY 12-B
Could have been a great presentation, but the audio absolutely sucks! Sad that there are few of these heroes remaining with us today..
My great grandpa was in the pacific, I think it was Guadalcanal
I’m Kermit The lizard . my father was at Guadalcanal. he never talked about it. if your grandfather is still alive thank him for me. God bless him.
Semper Fi!!
Never getting its deserved emphasis are the naval battles around the islands, no cameras or video so they rarely are described except of course in various biographies snd other naval warefare books , but let there be no misunderstanding some of the most vicious warfare was out at sea. Certainly for the Japanese it was even more disasterous, think jam packed troop ships hit with massive torpedos and bombs, thinks thousands of badly maimed and burned survivors in the ocean fighting for life against mass attacks by sharks in the blood soaked waters. It must have been horrible beyond imagination.
VETERAN STORNOWAY ISLE OF LEWIS ,( I WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD TO BE A U.S. MARINE WHAT THE MARINES DID ON ON THOSE ISLANDS WAS AWESOME AND BREATHTAKINGLY COURAGEOUS
One day they die
But their sacrifice is immortal
During the 40's my question is, was the traffic aligned to the train station s? And did Pearl Harbour affect this?
Guam is well known, expected more.
Too you. Most of the younger generations today have no clue about World War II and where it was fought.
what did you do at 16 ?
thought my left ear didnt work
🙏🙏🙏
I went to Tinian airfield able
My great uncle was on Saipan and was going to by a grenade he Survive the war