Page 28 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine
P. 28
Eugene Roberts Hard to Turn Off the
Switch
by Larry A. Williams
brothers and two sisters. Two of assignment. They were told that
his brothers served in the Army “half of the Marines had been
during WWII. He graduated wiped out on a place called Iwo
from Mt. Pleasant High School in Jima, and we were loaded on
1943. ships to be sent there the next
morning.” But their Marine
World War II – Pacific commander decided not to send
Theater them, and their orders were
changed to land on Okinawa
He traveled to Temple, Texas instead.
in February, 1944, to sign up
at a recruiting station. After As Eugene recalled, “On April
registering upstairs, he was told 1, 1945, Easter Sunday, we
he had “two weeks to go home landed on Okinawa, serving as
ugene Roberts had seen the and get your affairs in order.” a Floating Reserve, for a final
worst of war. He spent the He was told to go downstairs for push to Japan.” The initial
Elast few months of WWII further instructions. He found invasion of Okinawa was the
in the Pacific. One of hundreds the Army, Navy and Marines largest amphibious assault in
of young men plucked from there signing men up. He said, the Pacific Theater of World War
American cities and farms, he “Every third man was picked by II. “We conducted seven false
was sent halfway around the the Marines, and I was the third landings in one day to confuse
world to help bring an end to man.” He was told to “get on the the Japanese.” Meanwhile, other
the Japanese reign of terror. It bus outside.” He did not have US forces were able to establish
was not going to be easy, and two weeks to get his “affairs in a beachhead on the opposite side
many young men would lose order.” of the Island. Eugene was part of
their lives. The war in Europe a five-man crew on a Sherman 4
was over; the Pacific war was After six weeks of basic training, tank. Heavily armed, the tanks
not. It took three more months getting numerous shots and one were outfitted with a 75mm, a
of close combat, often hand to week of tank training, Eugene 50mm, and 30mm guns. “It was
hand, from island to island, was shipped out, headed for extremely hot and not well-
before the Japanese surrendered. the Pacific. After stops in the ventilated inside,” said Roberts.
One American soldier put it Marshall Islands, his unit, 2nd The battle, the last of WWII, was
this way, “You can surround Marine Division, 2nd Tank extremely costly. There were
thousands of Germans and they Battalion, was “part of the third an estimated 49,000 American
would surrender, wave to land casualties, and over 110,000
but surround one on Saipan.” He Japanese lost their lives.
Japanese, and he noted “On the trip
will keep fighting.” over, you could By July, 1944, Eugene’s division
not see the sun for landed and occupied the island
The Early Years so many Japanese of Tinian, where they camped
planes flying next to the runway and where
Eugene was born overhead (trying
July 10, 1924, in to slow down B-29s would eventually leave to
Mt. Pleasant, Texas the advancing deliver the atomic bombs. On
to Silas and Delia armada).” Once August 6th, President Truman
Roberts. Silas was Saipan was elected to drop an atomic
a farmer, and Delia secured, the bomb on Hiroshima, and when
was a homemaker. Marines waited the Japanese would still not
He had five for their next surrender, another atomic bomb
28 Lubbock Senior Link
