Thread by @colepomroy

1) June 15, 1944, an American fleet of 535 ships sailed into the Marianas carrying 128,000 marines, sailors and soldiers. Some 20,000 men stormed into Saipan that day against entrenched Japanese troops, beginning a campaign that senior officers later called -Japan's Pearl Harbor.

2) The victory here was costly - 16,500 American casualties, including 3,426 dead or missing. Almost the entire Japanese garrison was killed - 30,000 men, including 3,000 who hurled themselves against the Americans on July 7 in a suicidal ''banzai charge.'' @usmc1940 #saipan

3) Some 22,000 Japanese civilians died, too, many killing their children first and then taking their own lives by leaping from what are now called Banzai and Suicide Cliffs. Saipan’s civilization population of 16,000 suffered day in this battle. “We drank our tears.”@chalanlexi

4)July 9th, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the Saipan Pacific D-Day Victory. This will be the last major anniversary that has men and women who participated in this Island Death Match either by fighting or just living on Island still alive. All should be saluted & prayed for.

5) Hopefully our heroes will not be forgotten as the anniversaries fade but I’m afraid they will. My Father In Law Sargent Tom Quirk was with the Marine Fighting 4th in Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. He told me many horrific accounts of war but never any individual tales. @USMC

6) But his brothers did. Above is a picture of Tom in Saipan that was taken by a Marine Photographer & published in the #Chicago Tribune on or around 06/29/1944. I wondered how Tom could look so relieved going through what he had endured and knowing what was still ahead. @vopnews

7)As the Battle of Saipan raged on the Island a separate yet connected navel battle erupted, June 19-20: The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. . During these two days the Marines had no air cover as all available planes were deployed to the Navel battle. @USNavy

8) This caused the fight on the island to intensify and Tom was overrun by the Japs. He was forced to dig his own grave and as he finished up his own burial the Navel Battle was ending and to his lasting relief a fighter pilot came by and shot up every enemy soldier above earth.

9) He immediately jumped out the grave (fox hole) took care of things above the fox hole and rejoined the battle. The next day a photographer comes by while the Marines are eating and relaxing for the first time since the Battle started and takes his picture.

His family in Oak Park sees his picture and thinks he is fine. They have no idea that the Battle of Saipan is only half over and the horrors of that Island Death Match War are just beginning.

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