7 Nov 2024 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

[frankderrico]

Another sad one. But we have to see them to.

[42rocker]

Several of my Dad's Friends came ashore there.

Later 42rocker

[jond41403]

It makes me wonder and this is probably a dumb question but do they get the troops used to seeing things like that via pictures during training up until combat? Are soldiers repetitively exposed to graphic pictures of say maybe the end results of some weapons they are training to use? I ask this question because it seems like the higher command would want to get the soldiers used to seeing Carnage with a less likely result of someone freezing up at the site of it because I am sure that would take a lot of getting used to to see that kind of thing happening around you and still pushing forward completing your mission. The bravery of those soldiers is unmeasurable. I guess what I am asking is, is it normal procedure during training for military personnel to be exposed to to graphic images to get used to combat conditions in the future? Cuz if so, I could easily see how some soldiers could get PTSD without even seeing combat. I'm like that in a way with gory things I saw in my youth on a foreign film in those things have still stuck with me to this day. But I am the type that does not like to see or watch Gore and that's probably why because of what I've seen when I was young

[Bob Womack]

So many things. The miscalculation of the tides lead to stranding of the landing craft on the reef offshore with a resultant slog on foot through high water to reach the beach. This lead to the formation of Underwater Demolition Teams, forerunners of the SEALS.

My hometown's hero, Marine 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman, volunteer to lead the attack on a large bombproof bunker on the last day and fell after it was successfully taken. His actions resulted in his being awarded the Medal of Honor. If you ever watch the short film, With the Marines at Tarawa, he can he seen around the ten minute mark on top of that bunker fighting just minutes before he died. His remains were lost until 2015 when they were discovered with those of thirty-six others in a small battlefield cemetery under the edge of the airfield on Betio. The body was recovered and interred with his family's in Highland Memorial Cemetery, just yards from where I went to kindergarten, with full military honors due a Medal of Honor recipient. His body was born on an artillery caisson up highland hill and there was a flyover by Marine helicopters in the missing man formation.

A friend of mine was with a Marine Division that went in in on the first day. Before the war he was a radio personality of some local notoriety in Los Angeles. For the Marines he worked in communications. In LA, his backyard neighbors were the Gabor sisters, Eva and Zsa Zsa. The night before the assault he was informed he wouldn't be going in for some strange reason that was never revealed to him. He was kept aboard ship until the last day, right after major actions ended. His best guess that someone put a note in his folder saying, "Don't get this guy killed." Virtually his entire unit was wiped out on the first day. Instead he assisted in the mopping-up actions. When the war moved on from Betio he remained on the island for the rest of the war, one step away from marooned on the island with the island's garrison. He maintained the garrison's radio gear that was only used to call in supplies on the backwater. He said every morning he'd go down to the water and wash and swim but you always had to post an overwatch because Japanese stragglers would emerge from the caves regularly and take out a single Marine.

He developed an interesting habit while in the Marines: he didn't wash his coffee mug very often. I did it for him once and he was a little taken aback. He explained that it was a Navy/Marine superstition that you didn't wash your mug until the cruise or attack was completed.

Bob

[Mark in Rochester]

My hometown's hero, Marine 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman, volunteer to lead the attack on a large bombproof bunker on the last day and fell after it was successfully taken.

https://www.tarawaontheweb.com/bonnyman.htm



San Diego Setember 1942
Top Row: Capt. Don E. Farkas, Dr. Agar, Lt. Gilbert
Bottom Row: Lt. Govedare holding Reising SMG and Lt. Bonnyman.

[Terry Hawker]

do they get the troops used to seeing things like that via pictures during training

Simple answer. No!

[jond41403]

Simple answer. No!

Thanks for the reply! I'm a little bit surprised by that. I imagined there would be some kind of conditioning toward those kinds of things. Obviously the medics would have to see such images to learn how to fix them but I was just curious if regular military had to do so also but for a different reason if that makes sense

[Mark in Rochester]

It makes me wonder and this is probably a dumb question but do they get the troops used to seeing things like that via pictures during training up until combat?

I recall reading that the SAS had a training exercise with part of the the course was a ditch filled with slaughter house left overs that had to be traversed.

No picture could prepare someone for the actual experience

[browningautorifle]

the SAS had a training exercise with part of the the course was a ditch filled with slaughter house left overs

Not just them. Years back saw that every so often depending on the hierarchy. Just using a fertile imagination. I never heard of any issues from our guys in Afghanistan stalling at the sight of gore.