![]() ![]() The next day he and the other Seabees made their way back to the shore-party, which was unloading supplies on the beach. During the night, Riefle made two trips back to the beach helping wounded men. By nightfall on D-Day, we were on the front lines. ![]() We went forward again to keep from being hit, and were forced to keep going as the barrage moved up behind us. We moved 50 yards and some shells fell between us and the rest of the shore-party. Then two other Seabee riflemen and I were odered to move up away from the beach and fire on some snipers. I was only scratched, men were being hit all around me. I had just gotten down flat when my ring was knocked off the middle finger of my right hand by a piece of shrapnel. He recalls: When our boat hit the beach, I made a dive for the sand. Riefle armed with a "BAR" was a member of a squad of Seabees and Marines who were to furnish a perimeter guard around the shore-party. I will always appreciate the help we received from Sergeant Hickman, the pride of Mississippi.įrank Riefle, - (133rd NCB)Seaman First Class, never expected to be on the front lines the first night on Iwo-Jima. Unfortunately, one of my men in the machine-gun crew jumped into a 16-inch shell hole with other men, and all were killed by a mortar shell. This meant going beyond the first two terraces, inland about 250 yards from the beach. It would be safer to lie on the open ground, he told us. ![]() After we landed, he emphasized, we should get away from the water's edge as quickly as possible and avoid seeking shelter in any shell holes or depressions because enemy gunners would no doubt be zeroed in on them already. ![]() Sergeant Hickman held forth every afternoon from 13:00 to 16:00 for three weeks. When I realized that we were going to be involved in serious combat and that any advice from a combat veteran would be helpful, I asked my company commander to secure the services of a Marine to help train my security units. Credit for the fact that security unit had only one man killed in action goes to the special training provided by a Gunnery Sergeant named Hickman of the 23rd Marines. The Japanese did not attempt any counterattacks either from the sea or on the front lines in our area. The security unit consisted of two 30-man infantry platoons and two 4-man light machine gun sections. Headquarters Company of the 133rd NCB was assigned to provide a perimeter defense against a counterattack from the sea. ![]()
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