I really need your help to keep these interviews with WWII Veterans going. Please consider stepping up send a message to the world that these stories are worth documenting and the sacrifices these veterans make will never be in vain. Please visit www.rememberww2.org to donate or become a Patreon member at www.patreon.com/rememberww2. GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES! GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES! GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES! GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES!
“I was scared and you can’t believe how scared I was. There was times Id be crying when I shouldn’t have been. But I was still able to put the tank wherever the lieutenant called for. He was the boss and I obeyed him”….this was just a kid who didn’t wanna die, but he rose to the occasion. We should all be grateful for what these men gave us because it’s not always easy to have.
It's fine to be grateful for all the men who gave their lives in these wars, but at some point or another we should start to realize that we need to start pointing the finger at the powers that be who send them into these wars unnecessarily. If we want the unnecessary suffering to stop, let's look at the source of the problem.
They were selfless. My dad was on Tarawa and Okinawa, he can't tell me his stories anymore now that he is gone. Never again will there be a generation like that. Thank you for preserving these stories so maybe someone can learn from it.
I'm Japanese and respect you( Mr. Wilhite ) right bottom of my heart. Because, you are not only patriotic person but also, what you talked about the battle in Iwo Jima through the interview, you taught me so many lessons. Thank you so much and God bless you !
You can tell everything he said was from the bottom of his heart. My dad fought in the Pacific and i fought in Vietnam and I salute you sir and thank you from my heart . Am sorry for the hell you went through and still going through. God bless
You Vietnam guys got a lot of shit. I’m sorry for that. It’s not your fault you were called upon and it’s not fair you’re friends and fellow veterans were treated like shit aftwards. The politicians should have been the ones spit on, not the veterans. And even though that was well before my time, I apologize for that. Thank you for your service 🫡
This gentleman is *not* a stone cold killer. He rather seems like a gentle soul. He was a terrified young man who dug deep and overcame his fear to do what needed to be done. Utterly inspiring.
Yes, they were traumatic enough that he could take you there minute by minute. The only thing I could compare it to is a car wreck every day or every hour. Death never leaves you and if you love/care for that person, the detail never fades. Leighton could still see the death like it was yesterday.
Thank you for all you did. My stepfather was Albert Paviglianti and he was a Marine and only would say good things even though you seen bad things there. My stepfather lost every friend he met as the whole group he went ashore with was killed. He would never talk about that and held much of what seen in. He was there at the with the guys who raised the US Flag.
I’ve had the privilege of meeting this gentleman two separate times. He is one of the most sincere people I’ve met in my entire life!! I consider myself very lucky to have gotten a handshake, a signature, and being able to hear a couple of his stories in person!!
God Bless you, sir. My uncle Bertil is forever young-4th Marine division KIA on Iwo Jima February 20, 1945 I never got to know him but I think that he would be like you, I am enriched by seeing you tell your story.
Thank You Mr. Wilhite. We need more Brave Men like yourself. We're very happy that you survived the war. Your voice & your experiences are invaluable to future generations.
Willy, just imagining being in your place makes me fearful. I'm retired USAF so I've never had to be the boots on the ground. Thanks for all you went through and telling us about it.
One morning, years ago, an older gent, wearing an Iwo Jima Survivor cap walked into a convenience store I was in line at. He poured a cup of coffee, grabbed a newspaper and slowly walked to the now long line. So I (wearing my US Navy Veteran cap) motioned for him to get in line ahead of me where I gladly paid for his coffee and paper. We talked a bit, and since I got to the door ahead of him, I held it open for him, and as he exited, I drew myself to attention and saluted him.
No, you don’t draw yourself to attention nor salute anyone when you’re not serving. You’re simply a civilian after service. This guy was just being extra cringe and cheesy. The old man probably thought so too.
Literally brought me to tears in multiple points. Thank you so much for getting these stories documented. These men went through one of the worst times in modern history
Semper Fi from the daughter of soreahead 5th marine division Iwo jima _ purple heart. Listening to all of you is like seeing my dad again. I was only 27 when he died. The youngest of his 9 kids, im older now than he was at passing. I miss him. I hope i told him often enough how proud i was that he was my dad. Blessings. You know my dad had some cherokee mix and was a cowboy, big man tho he wasnt when he went in at 17 with flat feet. He would say of war, the field of combat is the distance between where you stand and going home... and any man, even the most reluctant to kill, wanted to make it home. So you fight and keep Fighting " the story goes as he was sniper shot from behind during a long march, he was so numb.he didnt feel fhe hit that shattered his tail bone and took a tesical until he realized he wasnt marching. One of his fellow marines dragged him behind a log as the woods popped like popcorn. . Someone said his words before transport were, kill that sob! Such is war. He was returned to watch the flag to up on sarabachi _ he was commander of the VFW during nam war. A champion for vets until his death .
I thank all these Veterans for their service and sharing their experiences . I am also grateful to all those who sacrificed their lives health and future happiness. I also appreciate and thank any former enemies who share their experiences. We do not see any interviews with Japanese Veteran’s. Rishi You look to be of Indian Ancestry, perhaps there are many Indian Veteran’s who also have stories to Share. I am a American of Italian and Portuguese ancestry . Many of My relatives served and worked in war related industries. My combat veteran Uncles ran a landscape supply ( manure) business. Some of their customers were former German Soldiers who immigrated to the US. I remember them talking with those Men about their common experience of war and those chance meeting’s alway’s ended with a friendly “your not a bad guy, too bad I probably took a shot at You” to which the reply was “I probably took a shot at You too”.
He is tough as nails now. Imagine him at 20 a young marine. The Japanese were great fighters but did not stand a chance against the marines. Thank God for the marine corps they got every dirty job and did it
Thank you sir for your service to our country! There were terrible battles for that small island and many men died fighting for it! Had you not been the man you are we all might be speaking Japanese or German! 🇺🇸
Thats what my dad, who was in the first wave at Leyte Gulf told me. It was war at its most basic. Kill or be killed. It cant get any worse than that. So we have to keep this in mind when we choose to go to war or its forced on us. His stories were right out of hell. He told me about a banzi attack he was in. So they attacked and my father was there along with a flame thrower tank. They lived in deathly fear of this weapon and did everything they could to knock it out. They set up a cross fire and the bodies were piled up on heaps. The tank was near the center. They had a guy run at the tank with phosphorus grenades around his waist. He was going to blow the grenades as he reached the tank. They phosphorus does not stop burning once ignited and if it hit the tank the tank would burn to and explode. Well, he came close but the tank lit him up and explodes the grenades. My dad saw the aftermath. His entire insides were popcorned out and the smell was worse than death. The attack ended and it was a scene out of hell But guess what. My father said to himself , Im Hungry and sat there and ate a C Ration! Life goes on. Its a shame that the war deadened him and we had no relationship. It would have been so nice to sit down with him and get it all on tape but thats the way war can be. Ive seen this with survivors of the camps, they arent themselves anymore. My dad hid it well but not to me. He was cold. Sad
I’ve seen this man many times in our little town, always wanted to hear his story, but never ask. So glad to finally hear it. I know he has returned to that battle ground several times through the years.
I couldn't help but to cry when you brought up the question of stolen innocence , and see his emotions; confusion, realization, the crack in his voice. I wish I could do a lot more than just thank you Rishi. I will always listen to their stories and watch your videos.
My Grandpa Raymond Quilling fought there as a 2nd division tank driver first wave. Only once he talked to me about it and told two stories. He said after getting onto the beach he wiped the back of his head only to find blood. The blood was not his but from another guy from in his tank who was shot in the eye. The other story was the night of the flag rise, bond fires were set. In one of those bond fires somehow a propane tank was placed in it, shot out and flew past his face. R.I.P Grandpa. See you on the other side.
Good work Rishi! My grandpa was in 5th marine dev. sent to iwo. Saw the flag raising in person feet from it. I am proud to own the japanese sword and binoculars he brought back. Also found him listed in the roster that i found online. Keep it up! He was a flame thrower within the caves. Crazy!
God Bless you Sir for your brave service to our Nation! Marine Corps should capture this video for their Museum as it is so rare to hear from a Tanker who was on Iwo Jima!
Drives lead tank in and loses engine in first hour of landing. Says tank received a new engine "instantly" and they were on their way. Craziness. Would love to know the entire story of that mid-battle pitstop and the men who got that tank back in the fight.
Interesting and informative. Special thanks to tank veteran sharing personal information/combat experiences. Making this documentary more authentic and possible. Fighting/perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often possible. Yet still advanced forward regardless of the consequences. That's true grit style determination to succeed!!!
😮 They were a great generation. They fought and won the war. Then came home carried on. No way I can thank them enough. And we are losing them every day.
From everything ive heard and seen, it seems to me that iwo jima was a death battle on both sides for a month and a week(6 days) until the americans pulled through. much as that may be obvious, its atounishingly horrific just how cruel humans have "had" to be during war. Respect to all who fought and died fighting for freedom.
I have talked to hundreds of Veterans in my life and one thing that keeps coming up isn't that complicated. It is not about morality or one's political or religious views.. It's about coming home alive.
I've got that same EXACT hat. Except? Being my fathers hat, I took yellow 'art paint' and printed the words.... _'Son of'_ to the left of _'Iwo Jima Survivor'._ I know my dad is looking down on me as I proudly wear his hat. Complete with the _'3rd Marines'_ and _'21st Regiment'_ pins, (showing to those 'in the know', that he served on Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima.)
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I really need your help to keep these interviews with WWII Veterans going. Please consider stepping up send a message to the world that these stories are worth documenting and the sacrifices these veterans make will never be in vain. Please visit www.rememberww2.org to donate or become a Patreon member at www.patreon.com/rememberww2. GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES! GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES! GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES! GOD BLESS THE WWII HEROES!
I share all these interviews with each of my friends and family members. We thank you for providing each story.
Are his son indian?
God bless these old veterans
“I was scared and you can’t believe how scared I was. There was times Id be crying when I shouldn’t have been. But I was still able to put the tank wherever the lieutenant called for. He was the boss and I obeyed him”….this was just a kid who didn’t wanna die, but he rose to the occasion. We should all be grateful for what these men gave us because it’s not always easy to have.
Indeed
Amen 🙏
Pretty profound!
Amen to that!
It's fine to be grateful for all the men who gave their lives in these wars, but at some point or another we should start to realize that we need to start pointing the finger at the powers that be who send them into these wars unnecessarily. If we want the unnecessary suffering to stop, let's look at the source of the problem.
Real men, real heros, to any vet I have nothing but respect for you.
Well said!
They were selfless. My dad was on Tarawa and Okinawa, he can't tell me his stories anymore now that he is gone. Never again will there be a generation like that. Thank you for preserving these stories so maybe someone can learn from it.
The real true super heroes didn't wear capes they wore a helmet an carried a gun.. Semper Fi
@Jack Hammer hell yea !!!!
The real stupid American boy is no hero 😂
These stories are better than any movie God bless these heroes
this is better than any history class this is living history
I'm Japanese and respect you( Mr. Wilhite ) right bottom of my heart. Because, you are not only patriotic person but also, what you talked about the battle in Iwo Jima through the interview, you taught me so many lessons.
Thank you so much and God bless you !
Glad we're friends now. I've visited before and really enjoyed it.
I respect the Japanese people. I’m glad we are allies now.
@@countryboyredI would respect them a lot more if they were honest with their past
Most WWII veterans were men of honor. As a combat veteran myself I am proud to have followed the path of men like them.
Can you imagine kids walking 7 miles each way to school today , let alone this veterans combat story as a teenager , respect from the UK 🇬🇧 🙌🏻🙏🏻
You can tell everything he said was from the bottom of his heart. My dad fought in the Pacific and i fought in Vietnam and I salute you sir and thank you from my heart . Am sorry for the hell you went through and still going through. God bless
You Vietnam guys got a lot of shit. I’m sorry for that. It’s not your fault you were called upon and it’s not fair you’re friends and fellow veterans were treated like shit aftwards. The politicians should have been the ones spit on, not the veterans. And even though that was well before my time, I apologize for that. Thank you for your service 🫡
Thank you for your service
This gentleman is *not* a stone cold killer. He rather seems like a gentle soul. He was a terrified young man who dug deep and overcame his fear to do what needed to be done. Utterly inspiring.
Imagine living with those memories for such a long time,God Bless you Sir!
Yes, they were traumatic enough that he could take you there minute by minute. The only thing I could compare it to is a car wreck every day or every hour. Death never leaves you and if you love/care for that person, the detail never fades. Leighton could still see the death like it was yesterday.
Overcoming fear and doing your job is very much an act of bravery. I salute Willy and all the men who saved us in WWII.
Thank you for all you did. My stepfather was Albert Paviglianti and he was a Marine and only would say good things even though you seen bad things there. My stepfather lost every friend he met as the whole group he went ashore with was killed. He would never talk about that and held much of what seen in. He was there at the with the guys who raised the US Flag.
I’ve had the privilege of meeting this gentleman two separate times. He is one of the most sincere people I’ve met in my entire life!! I consider myself very lucky to have gotten a handshake, a signature, and being able to hear a couple of his stories in person!!
God Bless you, sir. My uncle Bertil is forever young-4th Marine division KIA on Iwo Jima February 20, 1945 I never got to know him but I think that he would be like you, I am enriched by seeing you tell your story.
Thank You Mr. Wilhite. We need more Brave Men like yourself. We're very happy that you survived the war. Your voice & your experiences are invaluable to future generations.
What an American hero. God bless him and you for doing this.
What a beautiful, wonderful, brave man. God bless him for his sacrifice and let us all live a life where we appreciate our freedom.
Thank you Mr. Sharma, for allowing us the honor and privilege of hearing these veteran's stories. You deserve a medal yourself.
That man is a hero.
I love when he put that hat on at the start. That was so cool. Sent a chill down my spine.
Willy, just imagining being in your place makes me fearful. I'm retired USAF so I've never had to be the boots on the ground. Thanks for all you went through and telling us about it.
Wow, you can hear this guy's 1930s way of talking. Not very many people still talk like this.
Thank you sir for my freedom. Truly an American hero from the greatest generation. Much respect.
One morning, years ago, an older gent, wearing an Iwo Jima Survivor cap walked into a convenience store I was in line at. He poured a cup of coffee, grabbed a newspaper and slowly walked to the now long line. So I (wearing my US Navy Veteran cap) motioned for him to get in line ahead of me where I gladly paid for his coffee and paper. We talked a bit, and since I got to the door ahead of him, I held it open for him, and as he exited, I drew myself to attention and saluted him.
Just curious, is that what we are supposed to do?
No, you don’t draw yourself to attention nor salute anyone when you’re not serving. You’re simply a civilian after service. This guy was just being extra cringe and cheesy. The old man probably thought so too.
I really like these videos. We need to remember our history.
Semper Fi
Literally brought me to tears in multiple points. Thank you so much for getting these stories documented. These men went through one of the worst times in modern history
The men you interview on your channel are the reason they were called (THE GREATEST GENERATION).
Semper Fi from the daughter of soreahead 5th marine division Iwo jima _ purple heart.
Listening to all of you is like seeing my dad again. I was only 27 when he died. The youngest of his 9 kids, im older now than he was at passing. I miss him. I hope i told him often enough how proud i was that he was my dad. Blessings.
You know my dad had some cherokee mix and was a cowboy, big man tho he wasnt when he went in at 17 with flat feet. He would say of war, the field of combat is the distance between where you stand and going home... and any man, even the most reluctant to kill, wanted to make it home. So you fight and keep Fighting " the story goes as he was sniper shot from behind during a long march, he was so numb.he didnt feel fhe hit that shattered his tail bone and took a tesical until he realized he wasnt marching. One of his fellow marines dragged him behind a log as the woods popped like popcorn. .
Someone said his words before transport were, kill that sob! Such is war.
He was returned to watch the flag to up on sarabachi _ he was commander of the VFW during nam war. A champion for vets until his death .
Very rare they took flat footers back then!
❤thank you for your sacrifice, courage and service for freedom 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I thank all these Veterans for their service and sharing their experiences . I am also grateful to all those who sacrificed their lives health and future happiness. I also appreciate and thank any former enemies who share their experiences. We do not see any interviews with Japanese Veteran’s. Rishi You look to be of Indian Ancestry, perhaps there are many Indian Veteran’s who also have stories to Share. I am a American of Italian and Portuguese ancestry . Many of My relatives served and worked in war related industries. My combat veteran Uncles ran a landscape supply ( manure) business. Some of their customers were former German Soldiers who immigrated to the US. I remember them talking with those Men about their common experience of war and those chance meeting’s alway’s ended with a friendly “your not a bad guy, too bad I probably took a shot at You” to which the reply was “I probably took a shot at You too”.
Great interview as always. No way in hell I would want to be in the confines of a tank, much less in that hell on Iwo Jima.
He is tough as nails now. Imagine him at 20 a young marine. The Japanese were great fighters but did not stand a chance against the marines. Thank God for the marine corps they got every dirty job and did it
It was the greatest of men the greatest generation its obvious after hearing willy here. They are beautiful people
What a great generation of men, they live with dignity.My grandfather fought in Guadalcanal.He wouldn’t buy a Japanese vechile till he died.
My grandfather never called germans, germans. Always MOFFEN. Till his last days on earth
Thank you sir for your service to our country! There were terrible battles for that small island and many men died fighting for it! Had you not been the man you are we all might be speaking Japanese or German! 🇺🇸
Mr Leighton Willhite .. to GenZ ....Good Luck to You America
Great interview. I love how these WW2 vets tell some intense story and then say, "Well ,anyhow," and move on to the next equally crazy situation.
Thats what my dad, who was in the first wave at Leyte Gulf told me. It was war at its most basic. Kill or be killed. It cant get any worse than that. So we have to keep this in mind when we choose to go to war or its forced on us. His stories were right out of hell. He told me about a banzi attack he was in. So they attacked and my father was there along with a flame thrower tank. They lived in deathly fear of this weapon and did everything they could to knock it out. They set up a cross fire and the bodies were piled up on heaps. The tank was near the center. They had a guy run at the tank with phosphorus grenades around his waist. He was going to blow the grenades as he reached the tank. They phosphorus does not stop burning once ignited and if it hit the tank the tank would burn to and explode. Well, he came close but the tank lit him up and explodes the grenades. My dad saw the aftermath. His entire insides were popcorned out and the smell was worse than death. The attack ended and it was a scene out of hell But guess what. My father said to himself , Im Hungry and sat there and ate a C Ration! Life goes on. Its a shame that the war deadened him and we had no relationship. It would have been so nice to sit down with him and get it all on tape but thats the way war can be. Ive seen this with survivors of the camps, they arent themselves anymore. My dad hid it well but not to me. He was cold. Sad
That was a great interview. I have been hearing a lot about the pilots, but not about the Marines.
What a nice Christmas present to the world 🇺🇸
I’ve seen this man many times in our little town, always wanted to hear his story, but never ask. So glad to finally hear it. I know he has returned to that battle ground several times through the years.
I couldn't help but to cry when you brought up the question of stolen innocence , and see his emotions; confusion, realization, the crack in his voice. I wish I could do a lot more than just thank you Rishi. I will always listen to their stories and watch your videos.
What an impressive man.
Thank you your graciousness, kindness and thoughtfulness, shall remain with us eternally.😊
Thank you sir.
I am so grateful for your courage and sacrifices for your country and countrymen. We are in your debt.
“Sometimes you have to kill, to keep from getting killed” is a sentence I doubt I’ll hear again.
The amazing thing about these men is that there all as sharp as a tack still. Even after all these years and, these men who survived are immortals.
Salute to WWII vets! 🇺🇲🇺🇲
Thank you endlessly for your service Sir and may God bless you always!!! It would be a great honor to shake your hand!!! ✝️🇺🇲✝️
My Grandpa Raymond Quilling fought there as a 2nd division tank driver first wave. Only once he talked to me about it and told two stories. He said after getting onto the beach he wiped the back of his head only to find blood. The blood was not his but from another guy from in his tank who was shot in the eye. The other story was the night of the flag rise, bond fires were set. In one of those bond fires somehow a propane tank was placed in it, shot out and flew past his face.
R.I.P Grandpa. See you on the other side.
2nd division didn’t fight there though!?
My mistake. 1st division he was in. I do not know how I made that mistake.
@@jeffgolden9585 neither did 1st. 4th, 5th and 3rd as reserves.
Thank you for your service Sir, we appreciate it greatly 👍🏻
Thank you for your service
Thanks!
Rishi.... Your interviews and the work you do is incredible.
Great Job Rishi God Bless you and these veterans
Good work Rishi! My grandpa was in 5th marine dev. sent to iwo. Saw the flag raising in person feet from it. I am proud to own the japanese sword and binoculars he brought back. Also found him listed in the roster that i found online. Keep it up! He was a flame thrower within the caves. Crazy!
One of the great generation that gave us our freedom for today he’s a hero🙏🇦🇺
God bless this hero may he know peace and happiness
God bless you!
Thank you sir for everything.. we owe you everything.
God Bless you Sir for your brave service to our Nation! Marine Corps should capture this video for their Museum as it is so rare to hear from a Tanker who was on Iwo Jima!
What a great man. There are no other words!
god bless this hero. channels like this keep these memories forever like they should be.
Still remembers so much detail. Awesome story.
Drives lead tank in and loses engine in first hour of landing. Says tank received a new engine "instantly" and they were on their way. Craziness. Would love to know the entire story of that mid-battle pitstop and the men who got that tank back in the fight.
25:55 you are. Lot younger than I expected. Kinda brings me hope for the future
Love him ❤❤❤ , beautiful man
Interesting and informative. Special thanks to tank veteran sharing personal information/combat experiences. Making this documentary more authentic and possible. Fighting/perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often possible. Yet still advanced forward regardless of the consequences. That's true grit style determination to succeed!!!
Them boys, them boys! God bless 'em every one
I met him 3 times on trips to Iwo, really quite guy.
Such a great man thank you sir God bless you
Thank you for your service and for sharing your story.
Thank you for your sacrifice and service.
Thank you for your service. God bless you sir
Real super hero Thank you
I salute you Sir. Thank You.
The wisdom that these heroes share is so indispensable! Liked, subscribed, and shared channel!
😮 They were a great generation. They fought and won the war. Then came home carried on. No way I can thank them enough. And we are losing them every day.
Thank you for your sacrifice and courage, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you sir
TY GREATEST GENERATION------HEAVEN THEIR FINAL HOME!!
Live forever young man, we can’t afford to lose our hero’s
Thank you for your service sir!!
I thank Mr. Willhite so much for his service! I love this channel!
From everything ive heard and seen, it seems to me that iwo jima was a death battle on both sides for a month and a week(6 days) until the americans pulled through. much as that may be obvious, its atounishingly horrific just how cruel humans have "had" to be during war. Respect to all who fought and died fighting for freedom.
Your channel is informative, educational. Thanks. Suggestion. You should ask each veteran how they dealt with life afterwards.
Hell yeah that Iwo cap!
Invaluable!
My uncle Benjamin Barnett was killed in a tank on Iwo!
Thank you Sir
I have talked to hundreds of Veterans in my life and one thing that keeps coming up isn't that complicated. It is not about morality or one's political or religious views.. It's about coming home alive.
Thanks for what you do!
another amazing video, thanks for documenting this history
That dog being killed story let me know this Marine is the real deal.
God bless the all!
Did anyone else mutter 'and 2 zig zags' to themselves after he said colt 45 at start?
These guys were just made of different stuff. Unbelievable men.
Sempre Fi
I've got that same EXACT hat.
Except? Being my fathers hat, I took yellow 'art paint' and printed the words.... _'Son of'_ to the left of _'Iwo Jima Survivor'._
I know my dad is looking down on me as I proudly wear his hat. Complete with the _'3rd Marines'_ and _'21st Regiment'_ pins, (showing to those 'in the know', that he served on Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima.)