BEAM-CHARLES

            Some of my assignments were so secret no one knew of our existence.  We made our first raid in Japan to burn down a Japanese command and communications center on Palau.  No one even knew we were on the island.  No shots were fired, and the building burned to the ground.

            Our next move was to aid in the invasion of Tarawa.  The Japs had placed some 8-inch guns there, and we were to go in and destroy them.  However, we got to the island at low tide, and the landing craft couldn’t get over the reef.  I was called to the Admiral’s ship and asked if I could blow holes in the reef.  I answered “sure” so was sent on that task.  I and two buddies were in a PT boat, my 42 men and a half ton of C-3 were in an M boat.  My buddies and I were laying markers for the res to come and set charges.  We had just gotten the first few markers down, and I was in the water waving for the M boat to come in – when it took a mortar shell – direct hit and just disappeared.  All I can remember is one of the side plates whirling through the air.  My 42 men were gone in a flash.  I had lost some shipmates that were close as brothers.

            This has never been written up as we were so secret no one knew of our existence so they never knew that we died there.  Some accounts of the invasion mention the tremendous explosion but don’t know the source.  This is a fitting place for their story.