Article Comments - DAVE TABER

The Marines on Guadalcanal
DAVE TABER, 1st Raider Battalion
Dave Taber was one of "Horse Collar" Smith's communicators who fought bravely among Sweeney's men. Six of the seven men were casualties that night.

We were on top of the ridge near the command post. Major Bailey came up and made an eloquent speech. He said something like this: "All you fellows have buddies and friends that have been wounded and killed, and it will all be in vain if we lose the airfield. Now let's get out, hold the line, and save the airfield. If we lose the airfield, we're going to lose the island." That was about the gist of it. It was quite dramatic and got everybody moving. I thought to myself it was almost like something out of a movie. I like this a lot, if it had been myself out there and people that I had been in combat with and had grown to know and like a lot I would feel very inspired to go out and do what had to be done in order to avenge those people and make what they did for their country worth while. I also like how this man said that this was like a quote from a movie; exactly what I was thinking when I was reading it, is, this would make a great line in a war movie. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 10:52 AM
I was with a close friend of mine, Ike Arnold. (Ike's name was really Herman Arnold, but I called him Ike.) We each had five or six grenades. We went out. I'm not sure what happened, but somehow we got separated from some of the other guys. I probably would have been freaking out had I been separated from the rest of my men with limited communication, as well. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 10:55 AMIn fact we were a little too extended, I guess. When the Japs attacked, we were throwing grenades. There was a lot of shooting going on, a lot of action: rifle fire, grenades moving so fast. It has to be extremely hard when things are happening very rapidly, especially when you have been separated from the rest of your men, I think I would have been throwing grenades left and right (probably like they were) to make sure that I was safe. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 10:57 AMAnyway, we were throwing grenades down the ridge, and then all the sudden Ike talked to me. [Choking up, Taber said, "I'd rather not go through this," but then continued.] He called me Tabe. He said very calmly, "Tabe, I've been hit." I turned to him. He was off to my side a little, and I said, "Where?" He said, "In the throat." He no more than said that, and he was dead. This has to be so terrible, I don't know if it would make me weak and want to stop, or if it would make me stronger and want to go out and avenge what happened to my friend. I think it may all depend upon a persons age; in my opinion, the younger people would get extremely angry first and not even think about what to do next. While, on the other hand, older people would feel sad, and a little angry as well, but would think logically and not let their emotions control them. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 10:59 AMHe must have been hit in the jugular vein or an artery. Blood just gushed out. I had my arm underneath him, across his back, and I lowered him down to the ground. [crying] There's nothing you could do. He was a very good friend of mine. I looked around, and I was all by myself. This has to be such a horrid moment. One second you are slightly comforted by your friend so at least you aren't completely alone, and the next second you are alone and your friend and fellow American is lying dead beside you on the ground. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 11:03 AM
I thought to myself that I better get back and make contact with the others. I didn't know whether to crawl back or walk back because there was danger both ways. We'd been told what to do in these cases. I acted without even thinking. I would think that 'acting without thinking' would be a very common thing; soldiers are in complete shock and just do what their gut instincts says, instead of thinking about it. However, they don't have much time anyway, to think a lot, so that may be a good thing. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 11:05 AMI decided to stay on my feet. It was pitch dark. I was walking a little bit, and all the sudden I heard something behind me and along comes a grenade right through the air and the fuse is burning! Before I knew what I was doing, I fell on my face away from it. Very gut instinct, as well as what soldiers are trained to do. I would most likely just drop because I would be so scared already. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 11:07 AMAs I was going down, I turned to see where the grenade was falling; it fell in between my feet. I had sharpnel between my feet and legs. I was a little stunned but got up. I was in shock, and nothing was bothering me. I'm walking along slowly and heard a Japanese voice behind me and he was talking to me. He must have thought I was a Jap going up in front of him. I had a .03 rifle and I swung around and shot, and he dropped as I kept on going. You have to be calm (as calm as you can be) and think quickly, as well as not feel emotion towards anything at the time. You need to view it as simply your job, as well as your life of theirs. -Alexandra Butler 3/30/09 11:09 AMI finally got back [to the CP], and one of the first people I ran into was Horse Collar Smith, who was wounded.

Book Portfolio - Quarter 3

Life was never regular again. We were changed from the day we put our feet in that sand.

-Private Tex Stanton, Second Platoon, Easy Company

The book that I read for Quarter three book portfolio is Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley. The basic premise of the book is to display the incredible (if not seemingly normal like any other) lives of the men who are responsible for the flag raising at the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. The photo is one of the most prominent in American U.S. history, but the stories and lives of the men in the photo are not known. The bravery that these men had to be the ones to display the American flag at that battle is not widely known, either, but this book helps to dive into the historical as well as personal tributes to these people. This book and these stories show how this battle, this day, changed these mens lives and how they looked at and dealt with their family there afterwards.

While there are indeed many learnings of what happened at the Battle of Iwo Jima as well as an incredible amount of historical facts, there is also an emotional and sentimental side to that period for six incredibly brave men who served their country to their fullest on that day in February 1945. Focusing more on the emotional and life changing aspect of that day, for the most part only for these men (and later on their families), to truly enjoy and absorb. In some instances, though, these men did not want to be recognized for what they did for the most part; not even to talk about what they did and what happened with their own children. John Bradley, as being stated in the book, was one of these men. He did not want to share his stories with his family in the slightest; they finally found out what did happen after he died while going through his things. Though he seemingly had nothing to hide because in a letter written to his parents during that time he says "You know all about our battle out here. I was with the victorious [Company E], who reached the top of Mt. Suribachi first. I had a little to do with raising the American flag and it was the happiest moment of my life." This book serves as a platform to let these men have their stories told by the people who knew them best in their lives; their families.

The obvious historical context of this book is about the Battle on the island of Iwo Jima and, mostly, the raising of the American flag by the six men who made it to the top of the island's highest peak to do so. Historical events need to have stories told about them by the people who live through them, it's just how the world works, and this book shows new themes in historical context for these men and their legacy. Even if they don't think that they want to share what happened, the world wants to know; the world always wants to know. Sometimes, men who have been in battle and gone through combat don't want to share their stories because of the number of deaths they have seen or the shock and stress of possibly re-living it for the rest of their lives it too much to handle. These men of Iwo Jima have a unique story to tell and still want to seemingly keep the details to themselves. Maybe because they believe that they will not be able to explain it fully and it would lack the immense importance that it should have? Or maybe because they thought they would leave something important out, or possibly, they would add something in that didn't happen, but that they made up in their minds? But the truth remains, history needs to be told, and the people who lived it are the best resource.

Many different people have different perspectives on what happened, or what should have happened, in historical instances. Just as well, people who lived through such historical things have their own different perspectives on what happened. Depending upon what stage in life they were in at the time, or what things were going on that would influence their views of the world as a whole, people would have different opinions on many things.

This book, Flags of Our Fathers, is a good book for the 21st century generation to read. It puts into perspective what happened during that time and why it was such a historical event, and why it was such a life changing event for these six men who made the journey that did ultimately (even if they did not want to admit it) did change their lives. As well, I would expect, it changed their views on the world around them and other historical events they may, and very well did, live through as well and apply it to their own situation. Such historical importance put onto one moment in time, one flag representing one country, and the six men who were able to make it possible to think broader and think more of yourself, in the end.

Weekly Response

This past week or so in American Studies have been fairly interesting to talk and think about. I really did like talking about the Great Depression of 1930 and learning why exactly it was such a hard time in United States history. I have never completely learned why the Great Depression happened before, so it was refreshing to really delve into what happened and try to understand that better. Also, it was interesting and kind of scary to look at and compare the Depression with the economic times of today. It does seem like we could very well be heading toward another Depression if we don't figure out how to get ourselves out of this mess now. The debate didn't go over very well in our class, especially the side against thinking we are heading to another Depression. In my opinion, the people who have not been a debator yet need to have a turn. No one really wants to be one but there are people who have done it twice now, and the people who have been researchers for both debates don't even help the people half the time and are rude when their group members are debating.

Other than that though, I have liked learning about the Great Depression and the economic times then and what happened with the stock markets. Also thinking about the people whose lives were ruined because of this crisis.