Leon Cooper Returns to Tarawa

WW II Veteran returns to Red Beach, site of horrific battle with the Japanese in November, 1943. Over 1300 Marines and 4500 Japanese were killed in three days. The beach is now covered in garbage.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Tarawa
• Marines
• South
• Pacific
• World
• War
• II
• Leon
• Cooper
• garbage
• war
• memorial

[wharfmouse]

Thank you so much for your service to our country. I love your passion, your choice of words, and now, I want to see that horrid little island more than ever. Nov 2008, I will be there. God willing.

[leesmillfarm]

I am totally disgusted, my father who is 83 and living his last days, was wounded on Betio, as a 17 year old PFC. His name is Arthur D. Framson, and I am so proud of him. The government of this Pacific atoll, must clean up this sacred ground. Perhaps the Commandant of the Marine Corps, could land a team of Marines and Seabees to clean this place up. It is the equivalent of Gettysburg to the Marine Corps. Semper Fidelis!!!

[tematangR]

I share your quest to clean up Tarawa, it is disgusting and most of all disrespectful to both nations not to honor those who died horrifically on Betio, 

[Burco1]

@leesmillfarm Tarawa is sacred ground! Agreed!

[Skandalos]

@leesmillfarm yea, the government must, and the govermnent has to, and if something insults your feelings its the government. I tell you what. If those guys 65 years ago would have been such immature cry babies, we would all speak japonese or german today. If I hear people like you calling for government, I know why our governments are broke.

[Altasren]

Oh for Chrissake. So tell me, Mr. Cooper, how much are you happy with your taxes being raised to clean up Tarawa? (Quite aside from that it's part of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, who might have their own ideas about how to run their lives.) And, of course, the Canal, and Saipan, and every other island we hit during the War? Not one red cent? No, I didn't think so.

[Ambiduros]

@MrMeter

Stuff does wash up on Pacific island beaches but also people use them as a dump.

[TheDillchipset]

@wharfmouse Did you ever go there? 

[speedtrapp28]

@MTNBOY007 I certainly hope he didn't set foot on Tarawa. He was a Higgins boat commander.  He sounds awfully goofy using all the cuss words.

[twoacidnuts]

@420Guitar420 you forgot about saipan

[cic5631]

LEAVE KIRIBATI ALONE

[cic5631]

FRAUD