Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
3:25 | 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.
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.
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.
Duard Baxter remembers the devastating scene in Okinawa soon after the Atomic bomb dropped and the unusual reaction from the people living there.
