Memorial Day is here. Which turns my thoughts again to my own Dad.
In World War II my Dad – Nelville Bernard Lord, aka “Bus” or “Buzz” – served as a Captain of Artillery. He was assigned to the Pacific, and, as I eventually got him to talk about on video camera during a long-ago summer vacation, one of his most notable memories was participating in the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines.
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For those not familiar with it, here’s the Wikipedia description:
“The Battle of Leyte (Filipino: Labanan sa Leyte; Waray: Gubat ha Leyte; Japanese: レイテの戦い) in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the amphibious invasion of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American forces and Filipino guerrillas under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita. The operation codenamed King Two,[11] launched the Philippines campaign of 1944–45 for the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippine Archipelago and to end almost three years of Japanese occupation.”
Wikipedia also says this of the island:
“High mountain peaks over 4,400 ft (1,300 m), as well as the jagged outcroppings, ravines, and caves typical of volcanic islands offered formidable defensive opportunities.[2]:11
…From the XXIV Corps beachhead, Gen. Hodge had sent his two divisions into the southern Leyte Valley, which already contained four airfields and a large supply center. Maj. Gen. James L. Bradley‘s 96th Infantry Division was to clear Catmon Hill, a 1,400 ft (430 m) promontory, the highest point in both corps beachheads, and used by the Japanese as an observation and firing post to fire on landing craft approaching the beach on A-day. Undercover of incessant artillery and naval gunfire, Bradley’s troops made their way through the swamps south and west of the high ground at Labiranan Head. After a three-day fight, the 382nd Infantry Regiment took a key Japanese supply base at Tabontabon, 5 mi (8.0 km) inland, and killed some 350 Japanese on 28 October. Simultaneously two battalions each from the 381st Infantry Regiment and 383rd Infantry Regiments slowly advanced up opposite sides of Catmon Hill and battled the fierce Japanese resistance. When the mop-up of Catmon Hill was completed on 31 October, the Americans had cleared 53 pillboxes, 17 caves, and several heavy artillery positions.[2]:65–69”
Note the reference to those “17 caves”? That, Dad told me, was his job. To specifically and repeatedly fire on those caves to defeat the Japanese soldiers hiding in them and raining fire down on the American soldiers approaching the beach in landing craft. Not to mention firing down on them when they had landed on the beach itself. In other words? This was hell personified.
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When it was all over, Dad received the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Philippine Independence Medal, and, eventually, the World War II Victory Medal. Long ago I had collected his medals and had them framed for him. I still have them.
My Dad was my American hero.
So as members of his family gather for the resumed Memorial Day celebration that was postponed last year, my cousins and I will be remembering Dad, my Uncle Walter Teuber (wounded in the European Campaign) and our Uncle, Colonel John Reeve and his brother George Reeve – the first who spent his career in the Army and whose early service involved being part of the D-Day landings.
All of them were part of what has come to be known as The Greatest Generation.
Without their service and that of so many hundreds of thousands of other Americans, having a family holiday barbecue would never be possible.
Thanks Dad.
And yes, I’ll have the extra serving of potato salad!
