Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
2:32 | Duard Baxter tells the story of a major injury he suffered when in Naha, the capital of Okinawa. He explains the importance of getting back to his unit within ten days after the injury.
Keywords : Okinawa Japan Duard Baxter WWII Marine
Duard Baxter recalls arrival on Okinawa at Yontan airfield. They were expecting heavy resistance but surprisingly didn’t have much confrontation. He shares a story of one Japanese pilot who was at the wrong place at the wrong time when they arrived.
During a 28-day trek by foot from the South end of Japan to Okinawa, Duard Baxter explains an occasion where one Japanese sniper had several men in his regiment pinned behind a rock for a long time until they eventually took him out.
Duard Baxter discusses the minute food rations and horrible living conditions during his three-month trek through Okinawa. This includes a horrific story about not keeping watch when sleeping in a foxhole.
In Okinawa, about mid-way through the campaign, Duard Baxter remembers a massive Japanese artillery and sniper attack when he was pinned in a shell hole. After the firing ended, he explains what happened to one of his friends.
During the invasion of Okinawa, Browning Automatic Rifleman Duard Baxter was sent out to lead a patrol of new recruits. He recalls a short but bloody encounter that resulted in him being offered a medal, but he did not accept it.
Duard Baxter remembers the devastating scene in Okinawa soon after the Atomic bomb dropped and the unusual reaction from the people living there.
