A Gathering of Humble Heroes - Day 1

Day 1, April 27, 2010

It had been over two decades since I last made the drive from the Bay Area to Reno or Tahoe, when my parents had lived in Carson City and Reno, NV. That was a shame, because it was grandly beautiful, majestic in an Old West sense. The cold rain was becoming late season snow even as low as Auburn where I had stopped for a quick lunch. The National Weather Service forecast a notable storm and Donner Pass was anticipated to require snow chains by late afternoon. I did not have snow chains. I had absolutely no intention of buying or using snow chains, ever again. So I ate half my lunch and hit the road, expecting to beat the wrath of the storm and the chain requirements by several hours. I had food, water, a knife, extra clothing, a strobe light and other survival gear as a precaution, but forget those snow chains.

As it was, I was less than ten miles from the summit in moderate snow, dangerously heavy winds but light traffic, cruising a clear Interstate Highway 80 when the phone rang, and it was not good news. It was Goldie. Goldie and Don Hill were the heart of the Reunion Association and had planned and hosted the reunions for many, many years. Don had been ill for some time but had just taken a turn for the much worse and much sooner than expected. But Don, a marine if there ever was one, insisted that Goldie attend the event in Reno and she was going to do it, planning to arrive in a couple of days with two dear friends to assist her. Goldie wanted to let me know and asked if I could run the events. Of course I could, and would. But in reality she had done such a thorough job organizing it all that there was little for me to do but but be seen and heard and I certainly was capable of that.

After checking in at Harrah’s I called Stacy, their event person. Young, tall, pretty, smart and yes, blonde, worldly past her years, she was a gem in accomodating our rather fluid needs. The 24” X 36” Humble Heroes book cover poster was suitably displayed in the lobby as well as the hospitality suite for the crew and families.

This was not another USS Nashville Reunion. St. Louis 2009 was the last, finally, even after others had been touted as such. This was different, it was a gathering and became known as a “Gathering of Humble Heroes” in honor of each other and the book. Less structured than a reunion, certainly with less pomp and fanfare, it was a casual meeting of those connected by a shared experiences and interests.

When I saw them, they were gathered around a large round table in the hospitality suite atop the building, awaiting more of each other and the food and drink that would soon become available. And touchingly for me, many had their books with them, asking each other to sign them. In an hour more came to fill another table and then yet another. Old friends and families engaging again against the odds of time and serendipity. It was wonderful to see them, fewer in number than ever, yet just as full of life too.

And of course, the stories began to slip out, quietly at first and then as one begat the other and fueled old but full memories, they escaped the minds like free flowing water and were nearly continuous, non-stop, and it was a rejuvenation. They spoke of men no longer with us, the spoke of liberty in Australia (always a favorite topic) and they spoke of some of the unspeakable. A few had a tear in their eyes but all conversation made the turn back to the pleasant and entertaining. Even a story of spending a few days in the brig, with a menu of bread and water every other day, drew smiles and laughs. They were simply glad to be here, be among family and among ship mates that understood a shared experience that others never would.

The Pacific: Peleliu

Episode 5 of the HBO Series The Pacific illustrated well the horrific toll the 1st Marine Division paid when they hit the beaches of Peleliu. Unlike many other island invasions, the Japanese fiercely defended at the beach rather than further into the jungle. The same day (September 15, 1944) the Marines hit Peleliu, they also hit the larger, but lesser known and far more thinly defended island, Morotai, the final stage of the New Guinea campaign.

A naval support task force, led by the USS Nashville as command ship with General MacArthur on board, and consisting of 3 light cruisers, 2 heavy (Australian) cruisers, 8 American destroyers and 2 Australian cruisers arrived off Morotai completely undetected by the Japanese. Nashville pounded an enemy airfield and installations at Kaoe Bay on nearby Halmahara Island for nearly an hour with her 6 inch guns as a diversion to the landings on Morotai.

The assault and eventual capture of Morotai coincided with the capture of Peleliu and, in the minds of many, extraordinarily high price and questionable strategic value of that island. Morotai became a highly useful airbase in terms of launching light and medium bombers and fighters against Leyte in the Philippines, the door to the return of American forces and the liberation of that long suffering island nation. The ever growing forces of the American Central and Southwest Pacific campaigns were now joined.

The Pacific: Guadalcanal

Episode 2 of The Pacific clearly and graphically illustrated why Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was awarded the Medal of Honor. He and his group of 15 men were at the apex of the Japanese attack to retake Henderson Field, holding the line against 3,000 battle tested Japanese troops. Thirteen of the 15 men would be lost, 60 Americans in total and over 1,500 Japanese. After daily aerial combat, 3 major land battles and 5 devastating (to both sides) naval battles, Henderson Field remained in American hands throughout the war.

While Basilone’s machine gun was grinding away at the Japanese frontal assault, the naval Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands was taking place above, on and under the warm Solomon Islands waters. The US Navy lost 1 carrier (Hornet)had another severely damaged (Enterprise), 1 destroyer sunk, 2 others damaged and 81 aircraft destroyed, with 266 killed. The Imperial Japanese Navy had 2 carriers and 1 cruiser heavily damaged and more importantly, 99 aircraft destroyed and 400-500 killed including difficult to replace pilots. The high water mark of Japanese territorial expansion at Guadalcanal began receding and would not stop for the remainder of the war.