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WWIIMarinesurvived
Pacific
Theater'sworstbattles
At84JerrySherlockofSmithfieldblogsabouthiswarexperience
By
DickMartin
ComeJuly
4th,
JenySherlockofSmithfieldwillbestandingatattentionwhenmembersoftheannedservicesparadeby.Hewillsalutetheflagandhonorthosewhohaveservedtheircountry.ChancesarethatfewpeoplewillrealizethattheWWIIMarineveteranhasbeentohellandbackindefenseofthatsamecountryandbeenthroughsomeoftheworstbattlesinthePacificTheater,includingSaipanandIwoJimaindoingso."Itwashellonearth,"saysSherlock,84."Iwasconstantlywonderingwhichbulletwasgoingtohitme..."Sherlock,at17foughttogetintothewar,buthisparentswouldn'tgivetheirconsent.Finally,at18,hesimplysaidhewasgoing,despitethefacthebarelypassedthephysicalwithaheartmunnur.Hewasgoingtobedraftedanyway.HehadspokentotheMarinerecruiterbeforehandandmadeanangementstobetakenbytheMarines,andinablinkofaneyehewasthroughtrainingandonhiswaytoHawaii,wherehemomentarilyhookedupwithhissister,Martina,aNavyregisterednurse.WhenheandhissisterandherfriendwenttodinnerattheofficersclubintheprestigiousMoanaHotel,whichhadbeencommandeeredasanofficersretreat,herecalls,itcausedquiteastir,seeingthathewasaMarineprivate."TheythoughtIwastheluckiestguyintheworld,"hechuckles."ThereIwasaMarineprivatewithtwoprettynurses.Thatwasabigno-no!"Fromthere,however,itwasalldownhill,alongwithuphillandtakethehill,ashisunitenteredthefray.OneofhisfirstmajorbattleswasSaipan,wherehisunitwaspartoftheMarinebattalionwhichinvaded,crossedtheisland,andcapturedtheairport,akeyingredienttohelpensurefuturesuccessfortheAllies.PartofSherlock'sjob,alongwithafellowMarine,wastocleanoutasectionofthethousandsofcavesdottingtheislandwhereJapanesesoldierswereholedup."Thereweretwoofus.Weflippedfingersatthefirstone,"
50
YourSmithfieldMagazine,
June2010
AsaU.S.MarineJerrySherlock(r)survivedsomeoftheworstfightinginthePacificTheaterofOperationsduringWorldWarII.OnIwoJimaonly150ofhisunitof900mensurvivedunscathed.Jerry'ssonSteve(onleft)assistsJerryinthepostingofablogabouthisexperiencesontheinternet.Itcanbefoundatjerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com.
(YourSmithfieldMagazine
photobyDickMartin)saysSherlock."Wedidn'thaveanycoins.Helost,sohehadtogointhefirstone.Hekilledtv"oJapsandcameout.Iwentinthenextone,andwetookturnsafterthat.HewasacattlerancherfromColorado,andhehadhisgrandfather'sColt.44,soheknewhowtoshoot.HewaswoundedatIwoJima,andwecarriedhimbacktothebeachsothehospitalshipcouldpickhimup.Marinesdon'tleaveanyonebehind.Hediedtwodayslater.Hisnamewas'Jonesy.'"Sherlock'sjobwastospotenemypositionsandcallinthebigguns,radioingbackcoordinatesfortargets.Thatmeantsometimesinchinghiswayascloseaspossibletoenemypositionsalone,extendingandweakeninghisconnectiontohisfellowMarinesbehindhimattimes.WhilewatchingtheHBOspecial
Pacific,
directedbyTomHanks,SherlocknotedthatwhathesawontheTVscreenwasasaccurateaportrayalofwhathadactuallyhappenedashehadeverseen.Infact,itbroughtbackmemories...andsleeplessnights."Itwasverywelldone,"saysSherlock."Oneofthegreatestserieseverproduced.IwatchedtheIwoJimasegment,andIhaddisturbedsleep,tossedandturnedallnight.Itstilldisturbedmetoseeitafter65years."Otherepisodesbroughtbackothermemoriesaswell,includingoneincidentintheserieswhereaMarinecomesapartandlosesitunderallthepressuresofwar.Onhiswebsite,Sherlockrecallssimilarincidentswhichhewitnessedonthefrontlines."Ithappened,"hewrites."Guysreachedthebreakingpointandforeveryoneitwasdifferent.I'mgladitneverhappenedtome.Someguys,youneverknewwhenitwouldhappen."Amazingly,Sherlockmadeitthroughwithoutevenbeingwounded.However,therewereplentyofclosecalls.
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