Monday, February 23, 2009

Sinking of the USS Bismarck Sea at Iwo Jima

Todya marks the 64th anniversary of the flag raising at Iwo Jima, February 23, 1945. The Feb. 21st Fresno (Ca) Bee had an article about Steve Marusich, 84, of Ivanhoe who was on a ship offshore and witnessed it as a 20-year-old.

On the morning of the 23rd, he was part of 10 or 11 survivors of the USS Bismarck Sea who were recuperating above deck of the USS Edmonds, when they saw the flag flying. "We noticed it. They announced it over the intercom and we all cheered."


HOW HE GOT TO BE THERE

This was the culmination of a hard three days service for Marusich. He had been a gunner on a torpedo bomber on the USS Bismarck Sea just two days earlier. According to him, the Bismarck Sea was formerly a freighter that had been converted into an escort aircraft carrier. He called it a "Kaiser Coffin" because of their being such U-Boat targets.

After sundown on the 21st, he was on the hangar deck when they were called to General Quarters. Just as he stood up, an explosion sent he and a friend flying 30 to 40 feet. "It knocked me off my ass. We stood up, and down the hangar deck we go. My ears were ringing."

The ship had been hit by a kamikaze. Then, a second one crashed into the ship. Fires caused the torpedoes to explode and water began coming in. The Bismarck Sea was the eleventh and last US carrier sunk in the war.

Those not killed got into the water and were strafed.

To Be Continued. --Cooter

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