“Sticking his flamethrower nozzle into the gunport of the Japanese bunker, he ignited his napalm; releasing 350 PSI of pressure in his tanks. There was a loud roar of sound, and it looked like a fire spitting dragons jaws had erupted.

The unsuspecting and stunned men inside didn’t know the horror that was about to engulf them. They were cast instantly into the center of a roaring inferno. An incinerating, searing, roaring hell.

I felt a surge of elation when the flames shot inside. It wasn’t because of the gruesome congregation of agony that was about to overwhelm the enemy, but because of our success. No one could live through Pegs napalm fire.

Mowing down the screaming Japanese soldiers was purely a mercy slaying. Pitifully, the men were frantically trying to wipe away the still flaming jelly gasoline sticking to their tortured bodies. The putrid stench of burning human flesh nearly made me vomit.

Sergeant Basilone’s eyes contained a fury I had never seen before. He was not an executioner, but a true Marine performing his duty.”
– Chuck Tatum, US Marines. Iwo Jima, 1945
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As we always say here at Battles and Beers (TM) Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.