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TARAWA, Kiribati – The 3rd Marine Division conducted a
repatriation ceremony July 25, 2015 to honor the remains of at least
36 Marines in Tarawa, Kiribati, who fought and died during the
Battle of Tarawa in World War II.
The Battle of Tarawa, also
known as the 76-hour battle, took place from November 20-23, 1943 on
the heavily fortified island of Betio, which was held by 4,500
Japanese troops. More than 18,000 U.S. Marines were sent to secure
the island, but the corals reefs surrounding the island acted as a
blockade and cause unexpected problems during the Marines'
amphibious assault.
When the battle finally ended, more than
1,000 U.S. troops had been killed in action and were left to become
a piece of unrecoverable history. However, the Marine Corps has a
saying: Never leave a Marine behind.
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A 3rd Marine Regiment color guard takes its place, July 25, 2015, during a repatriation ceremony in Tarawa, Kiribati. The ceremony honored the remains of approximately 36 Marines who fought and died during the Battle of Tarawa during World War II, and were loaded onto a C-130J Hercules aircraft to be transported back home to the United States. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Matthew Bragg)
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“Today provides for us the opportunity to bring home some
Marines who were lost here during the Battle of Tarawa over
70 years ago,” said Maj. Gen. Richard P. Simcock, 3rd Marine
Division commanding general. “Those Marines that gave their
lives and ensured our way of life continued here in the
Pacific were fully expected to come home, but it didn't work
out that way. Today we've filled that obligation for those
Marines.”
In March 2015, History Flight, a privately
owned organization working in cooperation with the Defense
POW/MIA Accounting Agency, discovered a long-lost burial
trench and recovered what are believed to be the remains of
at least 36 U.S. Marines killed during the battle. One set
of those remains is tentatively believed to be those of 1st
Lt. Alexander Bonnyman, Jr., who was one of four Medal of
Honor recipients for his actions on Tarawa, and the only one
whose remains have been unaccounted for.
The remains of the Marines
were placed into American flag-draped caskets and loaded
onto a C-130J Hercules aircraft during the ceremony.
“This ceremony I could not describe; it is one the most
solemn ceremonies I've had the opportunity to participate
in,” Simcock said. “Seeing those flag-draped coffins getting
on the aircraft and knowing they're going home, it makes me
feel good as a Marine. For us it's always about
accountability and bringing our Marines home after the fight
is over.”
After the final casket was loaded onto the
aircraft, the audience remained still in a moment of silence
as a bugler performed Ceremonial Taps.
Once the
caskets were loaded aboard the aircraft, the C-130 departed
from Tarawa to begin the transportation of the remains back
to the U.S.
The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen.
Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. had this to say upon the initial
discovery: “I was very pleased to learn of the discovery of
the remains of our Marines on the island of Tarawa [...]
This battle demonstrated the indomitable fighting spirit of
our Marines [...] The lessons learned there paved the way
for our success in the Pacific campaign and eventual end to
the war. We look forward to their return home.”
After
transportation back to the U.S. has been completed, the
remains will undergo DNA testing to confirm the identities
of the Marines and will then be turned over to their
respective families for burial with full military honors.
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Bragg
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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