Well, that’s not exactly true, but it might as well be. And since we’ve been “atolling” ourselves to death the last couple days, one more should be alright. Apamama Atoll (it’s also known by similar names like Abamama, Abemama, and maybe even Alabama) is another postage-stamp-sized chunk of coral and trees about 80 miles south of Tarawa. As the Battle of Tarawa was winding down, the U.S. turned their attention to Apamama, as its deep-water lagoon would make an excellent naval base.
The submarine USS Nautilus packaged up 78 Marines, captained by James Jones, and headed south. Arriving at the atoll, the Marines started working their way around the various islets, killing a couple of Japanese soldiers. But natives told the Marines that the next island had a 25-man garrison that would need to be neutralized. So the Nautilus surfaced offshore and proceeded to soften up the landing areas before the Marines headed in. But this battle would be very different from the others.
It turned out that just before the Nautilus and the Marines arrived, the garrison commander assembled his troops. While talking to them, he was waving his sword in one hand and his pistol in the other. In the midst of his speech, he inadvertantly pulled the trigger and shot himself in the head, dying instantly. The remaining troops, shocked and now leaderless, had no idea what to do. So (I’m not making this up) the 25 soldiers dug their own graves, laid down in them, and committed suicide. When the Marines arrived on November 25, 1943, their capture of Apamama involved filling in the graves and raising the Stars and Stripes.
Recommended Reading: A Hell of a Way to Die
I was a member of VB-108, the first Navy PB4Y-1 to land their I believe. We were flying patrols from there before Christmas 1943. The PB4Y-1 (B-24) destroyed in an air raid by the Japs was a plane from VB-109.
The crew I was on sunk 2 or 3 Jap ships 100 or so miles sout of Kwajelein Christmas day and we celebrated that night with a bottle of bourbon given us by our pilot Lt. Hop.
Out fit moved to Eniwetok from Apamama. Landed at Jap field at Tarawa right after declared taken. One heck of a mess and made a stock yard smell like perfume. Personnel at Apamama had a terrific run of dysenterry caused by flys from Tarawa.
My grandfather was in the US air force on Apamama. He was known by the name Bill, most likely his name is William. He was lost in action when they raided the Marshall Islands. Their plane never return. He left his contact with my grandmother, the mother of his child who is my mother, but that was lost.
Interested to trace his family history.
The United States of America is no doubt the World Super Power. Recently a team was sent to Tarawa, Republic of Kiribati to look for the remains of their soldiers/marines killed on Betio during the second world war. USA goverment cared for the dead but what about the off springs of their army, navy and air force personnels/ their children in Kiribati? They have been neglected? Unhuman, isn’t it? The next President of the USA please consider.
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