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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Veterans Voice: Roy Mushrush recounts the fight with the USMC on Iwo Jima

Credit: 23ABC News | Bakersfield
Duration: 04:22s 0 shares 1 views

Veterans Voice: Roy Mushrush recounts the fight with the USMC on Iwo Jima
Veterans Voice: Roy Mushrush recounts the fight with the USMC on Iwo Jima

Veterans Voice: Roy Mushrush recounts the fight with the USMC on Iwo Jima, where he was injured and received his purple heart.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OFWORLD WAR II..

WHEN JAPANSURRENDERED TO ALLIED FORCESABOARD THE U-S-S MISSOURI.FOR A MARINE CORPORAL FROM THESTATE OF "MISSOURI"..

THEWAR ENDED AFTER ONE FIGHT.A MONTH LONG BATTLE ON IWOJIMA..

WHERE HE WAS WOUNDEDSEVERAL TIMES..

BUT SURVIVED.ROY MUSHRUSH ENLISTED IN THEARMED FORCES ON HIS 18THBIRTHDAY IN JEFFERSON CITY,MISSOURI.

IT WAS ONLY THEN HELEARNED -- HE WOULD BE A MARINE.1410 SOT - OLD MARINE SGT SAID..TAKE THATONE, THAT ONE, THAT ONE..IT WAS 1944..

AND THE U-S WASPRESSING THE ATTACK IN THEPACIFIC... WHILE ROY WASFINISHING UP TRAINING AT CAMPPENDLETON..15:40 - CALLED OUT ANYTIME LONGHIKE..HEADED OUT HILLS S.D..

OUT FORMONTH OR TWO IN PUP TENT.WHEN THE 5TH MARINES, 26THREGIMENT LEFT SAN DIEGO..

THEYHEADED FOR PEARL HARBOR..

2 1/2YEARS AFTER THE ATTACK..18:25 - BLOWN AWAY, NOT CLEANEDUP YET..ROY'S UNIT WAS INITIALLY HEADEDFOR THE BATTLE OF WAKE ISLAND..BUT THE JAPANESE WERE SOENTRENCHED..

U-S COMMANDERSCHANGED COURSE..

AND IN EARLY19-45..

ROY FINALLY HEADEDTO SEA.19:40 - LOADED UP CRUISINGAROUNDDESTINATION WE DIDN'T KNOWWHERE..

IWO JIMA FOUND OUT WHENSTARTEDLANDING.ROY WAS PART OF THE 2ND WAVE OFMARINES LANDING ON RED BEACH..NOT FAR FROM MT.

SIRABACHI.21:10 - HIT BEACH IT WASMURDER,BODIESEVERWHERE, 1ST WAVE DIDN'T GOFAR BLOWN TO PIECES.PROGRESS IN THE THICK VOLCANICSAND ON IWO JIMA WAS SLOW..

ANDTHE FIGHTING FIERCE.ROY WAS ON THE BEACH WHEN THEMARINES RAISED THE FLAG ON THE4TH DAY.35:40 - "I WAS PROBABLY 500 YDSUP COAST FROM THERE..

GOT ACROSSISLAND..36:45 - COULNDT SEE ANYREACTION, OTHERTHINGS ON OUR MINDS..

QUITE ASIGHT THOUGH..THE ENEMY WAS DUG IN NEAR THEMAIN AIRSTRIP..

AND ROY WASINJURED TWICE FROM ARTILLERYFIRE..

ALTHOUGH..

HE'D CALL IT ASCRATCH.23:25 - GOT A PIECE OF SHRAPNEIN THIGH,CORPMAN TOOK IT OUT, CURACROMEAND BAND AID..

(ARTILLERY)23:51 - ANOTHER PIECE THEREANOTHER TIME(POINTS TO FACE)THEN..

THERE WAS THE TIME HE WASSHOT IN THE HEAD..

OR..

MORESPECIFICALLY..

THE HELMET..24:50 - COME AT ANGLE, THRUSTEELHELMET INTO FIBER LINER,DEFLECTED, RIGHT AROUND INSIDEHELMET, RIPPEDLINER, TO BACK, BLEW A HOLE BACKOF HELMET... KNOCKED ME DOWN,NOT OUT..SHREDS OF LINER ALL WAY AROUND.IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MARINES WEREPERFORMING 'MOPUP' OPERATIONS ON IWO JIMA THATROY WAS SERIOUSLYWOUNDED..31:10 - GOT A BULLET THRU THEGROIN..HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEARTAND TAKEN OFF THE ISLAND.THAT STARTED A LONG JOURNEY OFREHABILITATION..

THAT EVENTUALLYENDED BACK AT CAMP PENDLETON.NATS - THERE WE ARE ALL DRESSEDUP INOUR DUNGAREES.ROY WAS GETTING READY TO GETBACK IN THE FIGHT A FEWMONTHS LATER..

WHEN THE WARENDED.

SOT - 33:10 - THINGSGOING GOOD AND WEDROPPED BOMBS..

OVER..HE WAS DISCHARGED AND MOVED TOKERN COUNTY.ROY WAS MARRIED TWICE..

ANDRAISED A FAMILY.HE LOST HIS 2ND WIFE MILDREDFOUR YEARS AGO.SOT - 3700 - TREATED ME LIKESOMETHINGSPECIAL38:20 - LOSING MIDRED TOUGHESTPART OFMY LIFE.ROY STILL LIVES IN THE SAMEOILDALE HOME HE BOUGHT MORETHAN 50 YEARS AGO.THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS A LITTLELOUDER THAN IT USE TO BE..

BUTQUITE A BIT MORE TRANQUIL THANTHE FIGHT OF HISLIFE..

75 YEARS AGO..ROY IS NOW 94 YEARS OLD..

ANDLOST HIS WIFE MILDRED ABOUTFOUR YEARS AGO.ONE OF ROY'S DAUGHTERS LIVESWITH HIM PART-TIME..

BUT FORTHE MOST PART..

HE TAKES CARE OFHIMSELF.AND LET'S BRING CHIEFMETEOROLOGIST ELAINA RUSK BACKIN FOR A CHECK OF TODAY'SFORECAST...

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